RIRA President Asks Questions About Roosevelt Island's Island House Security Camera System - Building Management Answers & Verizon FIOS Available Soon

Image of Island House From Bridge and Tunnel Club

Below is an interesting correspondence between Roosevelt Island Resident Association President (RIRA) Frank Farance and Island House Management representative Jennifer Jones concerning security camera features available at Island House. It is an informative and productive dialogue.

From Mr. Farance:

I've heard from one of my neighbors that this week there was a robbery of a child (iPhone taken) in the Island House courtyard. My neighbor told me the suspect, an Island resident, was arrested yesterday. I'm glad there is a happy ending to this story.

However, I think it is possible that some of these places can become crime magnets is because there are no video cameras. Most buildings these days (welfare SROs?) have blanket coverage of their properties.

So I'd like some answers to questions:

1. [For Ms. Jones] Why does Island House not have security features that are common to other high-rise apartment buildings?

2. [For Ms. Jones] What is the plan to put in security features? In what timeframe?

3. [For Ms. Jones and Director Guerra] How will this been coordinated with Public Safety and their island-wide security camera program?

4. [For Ms. Jones and Mr. Hirschorn] Why is there a delay in Verizon FIOS for Island House? Why are Island House and Westview the only buildings on Roosevelt Island that do not have FIOS? RIOC has asked for this to support there island-wide security camera program. Residents have asked for this and Verizon might soon "force" there way into the building regardless of Mr. Hirschorn's delay. Why is the owner, David Hirschorn, opposed to *permitting* (at no cost to him) the installation of common communications infrastructure that, in this case, might have helped prevent/deter crime upon children?

I'd like prompt answers because I believe the residents of Island House would like for their children to feel safe playing on its premises. I've included Ms. Feely-Nahem and Ms. Mincheff on this E-mail so they can coordinate and comment upon a broader Island-wide basis.

Ms. Jones replies:

Thank you for your inquiry regarding security cameras and FIOS. Management is finalizing the agreements with Verizon for installation of FIOS at both Island House and Westview and expect this to be done in the next 30 days. Thereafter, it will be up to Verizon as to actual scheduling of the installation.

Contrary to your email, neither RIOC nor PSD has ever requested that IH or WV install FIOS as part of the Island wide security camera program. When your email was received, we contacted PSD Director Guerra and he confirmed that installation of FIOS at IH and WV has nothing whatsoever to do with PSD's Island wide camera installation. However, we did discuss with Director Guerra a review of security measures at IH and WV generally, and we will be working with PSD to update crime prevention techniques. In this regard, a review of the security camera situation will also be undertaken. Apart from PSD, we have solicited proposals from security monitoring vendors and will be discussing this with PSD. As you must know, both IH and WV have extensive existing camera systems.

We invite RIRA and the IHTA and WTI organizations to submit suggestions for continued security enhancements and to work with management and PSD to improve security in the Island Community.

Here is the Island House Tenants Association (IHTA) and Westview Task Force (WTI) web sites.

On the issue of Roosevelt Island security cameras, a reader sends in these pictures of recently installed roof top cameras at 510 Main Street

and asks those of us walking by to look up and say "cheese".


UPDATE 12 PM - RIOC Director of Information Technology Michael Moreo provides a correction to the images above that were thought to be security cameras. Mr. Moreo reports:

The images shown on the Roosevelt Islander Blogspot is in fact NOT cameras, but rather equipment known as Free Space Optics (FSO). These devices are used when physical cabling is cost prohibitive, but high bandwidth capability is required (1GB speed or greater). We are using these specific FSO's to connect the Roosevelt Island Tramway to the fiber backbone of the corporate network for RIOC.

There is another FSO connection that connects our Engineering Department (513 Main Street) to the fiber backbone of the corporate network. Both connections are using the rooftop of 504 as the junction point to the physical network. That is why you see 2 FSO's on the roof of 510 Main Street. One is pointing to the rooftop of 504 and one is pointing to the Tramway. 510 Main Street is being used as a relay station due to it's height and line of sight capability to the Tramway. The 504 Main Street rooftop does not provide that same capability.
In addition, you see 2 FSO's on the rooftop of 504 Main Street. One is pointing to the relay point on the top of 510 Main Street and one is pointing to the Engineering Department.

I hope this clears up matters regarding this portion of the project.