CLEVELAND — Edgewater Park is making a $100,000-plus upgrade to their surveillance camera system in the aftermath of a chaotic shooting that took place there in June.
“There are more upgrades as we speak," Cleveland Metroparks Police Chief Kelly Stillman told 3News Friday. "Some of the brand-new technology has been installed. Some of the brand-new technology is on order, and as soon as it's in here, it will be put to use right away.”
The upgrades began in the week after a shooting there the night of June 22 in which investigators say 16 people were brandishing weapons, several of them fired their guns and one victim was grazed by a bullet.
The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office gave Edgewater Park more than $100,000 to upgrade and expand its surveillance camera system, the dollars coming from the county's Law Enforcement Trust Fund, money from criminal seizures and forfeitures distributed by the prosecutor to help area law enforcement.
“It makes our job that much easier," Stillman said. "God forbid something happens like it did in June. Had we had this type of camera available, the ability to identify suspects would have been much more easier. The pictures would have been crystal clear, high quality. We would be able to do our job a lot faster than trying to sift through pictures that are grainy, trying to get them enhanced."
Stillman told 3News that Edgewater Park is a "safe park," and now even safer with the camera upgrades.
"Those that come down here for criminalistic behavior, I would put them on guard because if you do it, we will find out who you are and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law,” he said. "The chances of them being identified are greatly enhanced."
3News asked parkgoers if the upgrades make them feel safer.
"It definitely does, improving the security of the area, just to keep an eye on everything and make sure that events like that don't happen again," said Brianna Sebastian.
"I have mixed feelings on it. I hope it's like just security and not police harassing people or making people feel like they can't come to the beach or have fun at the beach," said Nikki Lundberg.
3News also asked Stillman how the search for suspects is going in the June shooting.
“We pretty much know who they are, but there’s a lot of things when you want to charge somebody and we’re putting all the pieces of the puzzle together," he explained. "So then, when we present this to the prosecutor to get warrants for their arrest, it’s a good solid case. In the next couple of months you’ll see some arrests made based on the criminal activity that happened here.”
The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office says anyone with information related to the incident and individuals involved is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 216-252-7463. Tips may be submitted anonymously. Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $5,000 reward for any information that leads to the identification and arrest of the persons responsible for this crime.