Naples residents debate security cameras at Charlie C. Anthony Park after grant approved

Naples City Council has approved a federal community grant to install security cameras at Charlie C. Anthony Park, prompting a debate among River Park East neighbors about the balance between safety and privacy. James Whittaker, a Naples resident, voiced his support for the cameras. "I wouldn't call it an invasion of privacy because it's a community park," Whittaker said. Reginald Gavin, another Naples resident, expressed a different perspective. "I think they got enough cameras in the neighborhood already, and I don't see any major problem with the park," Gavin said. Felix Gomez, the City of Naples purchasing manager, explained the purpose of the new security measures. "It's just to make sure we have another set of eyes and ears out there, basically, to be able to see what's going on at the park, to add more security," Gomez said. Whittaker emphasized the importance of safety for families visiting the park. "I just want to make sure that our kids, when they go to the park, that they are safe. When our wives and daughters go to the park, they're safe," Whittaker said. However, Gavin argued that the cameras are unnecessary due to the park's proximity to law enforcement. "The police station is a half a block away. You know, I think it's overkill," Gavin said. According to the city, the cameras are intended to enhance visitor safety, provide quicker response times to incidents, and monitor the park's condition. The Naples Police Department shared the following statement: "The Police Department maintains secured access to all security cameras throughout the city and would follow suit with any additional cameras added to the network. The security cameras are utilized during our response to calls-for-service, during special events, during criminal investigation, as well as natural disaster response. No other law enforcement agency would have access to the cameras and these updated security measures were in response to community requests to improve overall safety at Anthony Park." Gomez clarified that the grant approval was specifically for cameras and did not include license plate reader (LPR) cameras. "The approval was just for cameras, and it's excluded any LPR cameras," Gomez said. The city confirmed it had inquired about purchasing LPR cameras, but the federal grant would not cover those expenses. Officials said the cameras could be installed within a year once the funding is received. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.