Lake Street dock video camera is back online

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A video camera that surveys activity on Tisbury’s Lake Street town pier and boat ramp on Tashmoo Pond is up and running again. The camera was out of service several times in June due to a malfunctioning circuit breaker, Tisbury’s assistant harbor master John Crocker said. Department of Public Works director Fred LaPiana said an electrician from his department has repaired it.

There is also a second camera near the Owen Park dock in Vineyard Haven harbor. Live footage from both cameras is fed to harbor master Jay Wilbur’s nearby office, where it can be viewed on two screens.

A Port Security grant program paid for the $25,000 cost. The cameras operate around the clock and have hard drives that store images for approximately 30 days. Mr. Crocker said they have proven very useful in helping the harbor master and his staff monitor both locations at the same time.

The Lake Street camera also lets the harbor master and his staff keep track of boaters’ use of the dock, which is subject to town regulations that set time limits. In December 2010, video footage from the Vineyard Haven harbor camera helped Tisbury police identify two teenagers who vandalized the Owen Park dock. They confessed after The Times posted the video online.