The Butler City Council made a wise move last week by voting to purchase security cameras to be placed in Memorial Park.

The $5,985 approved by the council on Thursday to spend on the cameras will be a good investment toward ensuring that the park remains safe — but also clean — for visitors.

Secure Technical Solutions will outfit the park with the new cameras and previously did the same at Father Marinaro Park, where Councilman Jeff Smith said they have led to improvement.

The cameras will be wired into the city police station. There are obvious reasons why installing cameras at parks is a good idea.

They allow law enforcement or other officials to view the cameras at any time of day to ensure that the parks are safe. They can also be useful toward solving crimes committed in the area.

But safety cameras can also help to keep parks clean. In the case of Father Marinaro Park, people had been dumping garbage there for some time, but the cameras placed at that park helped to alleviate that problem.

Dumping garbage is an issue at various locations throughout the county.

This past summer, the Eagle ran stories on creek cleanups during which volunteers dug out all types of trash, and some others turned out to clean up graffiti that has been sprayed at Moraine State Park more than usual during the pandemic.

Those who believe they can get away with this type of behavior will do so if they think there’s a low risk of them getting caught. So placing cameras in parks can help to determine who is taking part in activity that damages the community’s open spaces.

More importantly, cameras can act as a deterrent for all types of bad behavior.

If people know they are being recorded, they’re less likely to engage in unlawful acts.

Keeping our public spaces safe and clean is of the utmost importance.

We’re glad to see the city council is spending wisely to ensure this is a priority.

— NCD