Det. Scott Kinne and P.O. Donald Decker monitor street activity via the new camera system

LIBERTY – Police in the Village of Liberty can now watch all of Main Street and immediate adjacent areas with a six-camera surveillance system installed downtown.

Senator John Bonacic, with the assistance of Sullivan County Legislator Jodi Goodman, secured the $50,000 to pay for the project.

Police Chief Robert Mir said it has already paid for itself.

“Within the first hours having the cameras up and running, we took a drunk driver right off main street,” he said. It was the woman’s second arrest in one month and everything was caught on camera from her operation of the vehicle to field sobriety to the arrest process was all caught on video. Within her visit to court, she pled guilty because there was no disputing her behavior and her actions that day.”

Bonacic is an avid supporter of the police surveillance systems. “I had done it already in Fallsburg through a smaller scale. We’ve done it in Middletown, Ellenville and Port Jervis, and the police are very pleased with it.”

Liberty Chief Mir hopes to secure funding for even more cameras in the future.