What's The Deal With That Camera?

In the past week, Waterford Patch has been getting the same e-mail over and over again: “What the heck is that new camera doing at the intersection?”

Some of the e-mailers have had conspiracy theories of police spying or homeland security, but those are not true. The camera was installed by the Connecticut Department of Transportation as a sensor, so the new traffic light at the intersection knows when to turn red or green, First Selectman Dan Steward said.

“It should make that intersection much smoother,” he said.

The intersection, specifically, is the one between Boston Post Road and the entrance to Waterfall Shopping Center, which holds Benny’s and . The traffic light at the intersection is being replaced by the state, after it was deemed to be outdated, Steward said.

Police Cameras?

That said, the Waterford Police Department does have cameras to view certain key spots in town, particularly along the evacuation route for Millstone Power Station. In May of 2011, Waterford’s Board of Finance from the Department of Homeland Security to install more of these cameras in town, and have them be linked to traffic cameras in other towns.

Steward said those cameras would not be easily visible to the public.