By Chris Yow
Editor
CENTER POINT — Through the past nine days, the city of Center Point has seen its share of bad news. Six people were injured when shots were fired during the city’s annual carnival on April 15, and on Monday morning a store clerk at a local gas station was shot and injured as he was opening his store.
Clay Mobile Camera
Mayor Tom Henderson said he is concerned, and hopes the city’s current plan will curb the recent issues.
“We know (citizens) are concerned; we’re concerned. We live here in Center Point, and we’re as concerned as anyone else,” he said. “We began a while back planning on things we could do to help make the city of Center Point safer.”
The city has ordered two surveillance camera trailers, equipped with six cameras each, to be placed around the city. Recently, the City of Clay purchased two of these cameras, and Clay City Manager Ronnie Dixon said the cameras have been helpful in not only solving crimes, but also deterring it.
That surveillance would be monitored by the Metro Area Crime Center.
In addition to the cameras, Henderson said he planned to ask for two additional contract deputies during Thursday night’s city council meeting. The city contracts four deputies currently, in addition to the deputies assigned to cover the beat. Several deputies are assigned to the area because of the proximity to the center. That would bring the city’s total to six contracted deputies, which is the same number Clay contracts.
The cameras cost $166,000 for the pair, and each deputy costs $88,000. The main source of funding for these additions is the traffic cameras, putting that money directly back into public safety.
Henderson said he doesn’t deny Center Point has had its share of problems, but he hoped residents would understand the council and his staff are working to find ways to make the city safer, starting with these recent changes.
“We encourage them to get involved,” Henderson said of the city’s residents. “We want them to be more active in the neighborhood watch and keep an eye out for their neighbors. If you see something, say something — that’s what the sheriff’s office has been preaching lately.”
9 Comments
Robyn Hagler
No he isn’t!
Chuck Browning
He can’t do anything to stop it anyway, CP is a lost cause. CP didn’t want to incorporate till it was too late and that was and still is the problem.
Kevin Small
Maybe if the mayor had made public safety a priority this last 3 or so years rather than his revenue generating stop sign cameras, this city would not be the dumpster fire it is.
If he was concerned, he’d be putting deputies on the street rather than “public safety” officers watching stop sign footage.
Susan Stubblefield Jacobs
No wonder the money has come from traffic cams, I don’t come to a complete stop due to the violence in Center Point. It doesn’t have any well known gas stations and is run over with Title loan and pawn shops. It is sad and depressing to ride through there.
Daniel Ingram
Payday loans, pawn shops, and crappy fastfood. And all the little shops that feed on all the welfare money paid out in Centerpoint. Too much section 8 housing. You have too many people that didn’t earn anything they have, so they don’t value anything. Greater police presence is what’s needed.
Lance Moon
Center point became Birmingham ‘s bitch
Lance Moon
Birmingham had to get rid of the low income house before they could start marketing the lofts so they made a deal with Centerpoint leadership. They sold the city like slaves. When I sold my house I should have made about 50 thousand on that investment but after the city’s actions I cleared 1000 after closing. City leader should be ashamed.
Ethan Sullens
Laughable. He’s only speaking because… How can he not? It’s in the spotlight. He’ll forgot about the people again. What a chump.
Eric Price
We need more traffic cameras.