Some State College Borough Council members are skeptical of Mayor Bill Welch's comments regarding possible surveillance cameras on Calder Way.

Welch said Monday night that if lighting were improved in that area, he would petition to have cameras installed.

The idea of placing cameras in Calder Way will not advance if it does not have council support.

"If this idea even comes up to council, I can't imagine us taking action," Council President Tom Daubert said.

Daubert said council does not support the idea enough at this time. He added that taking action with surveillance cameras is premature, although crime in the area is disconcerting.

Council member Cathy Dauler said she never would have voted in favor of the three surveillance cameras on East Beaver Avenue last year if she had known the cameras might spread to other locations.

"I never thought that putting one camera downtown would make them put in more. I never imagined we'd be talking about cameras in another location, ever," she said.

Welch's comments came after a collaborative presentation by Undergraduate Student Government (USG) and Off-Campus Student Union in support of lighting problematic areas on campus and downtown.

Welch said yesterday that he realized during the presentation that if lighting were increased on Calder Way after dark, the illumination would make surveillance cameras effective in the area in recording incidents.

Welch said the project could begin only after the lighting is completed and determined successful.

"It just seems that we have an area with high crime. It seems a logical place to put them," he said.

Public works director Mark Whitfield said the process of installing new cameras could take 12 to 18 months to complete.

Welch said a start time would be based on the critique of the three surveillance cameras on East Beaver Avenue. Those cameras were installed last year in Beaver Canyon in response to three riots in the area between 1998 and 2001. A critique is expected to be completed by next fall.

"[Welch's idea] needs to get in budget first, since no money was allocated for this project. That would happen in September or October," Whitfield said.

Council member Craig Humphrey said he is not sure how effective cameras would be.

"When the camera issue came up, I was concerned. If there are cameras on Beaver, how many more will go up?" he said.

The Beaver Avenue project cost $4,500 per camera, and the contract with Wacor Electronics was for the amount of $24,409.05. Stands for the cameras were purchased later at an additional $3,089 each. Penn State provided $10,000 for the project.

Penn State spokesman Tysen Kendig said the university would support any additional measures to ensure the safety of its on- and off-campus students.

"If cameras help ensure safety, then we're all for it," he said.

He added that it was too preliminary to say if the university would be interested in contributing funds to a camera project on Calder Way.

In a 4-3 decision last April, former Council President Richard McCarl, former council member Jean McManis, Dauler and member James Meyer voted in favor of the Beaver Avenue camera installation. Daubert, Elizabeth Goreham and Janet Knauer dissented.

Whitfield said safety is a high priority when it comes to the camera situation.

"There are two ways of looking at it: One is a privacy issue, and one is a safety issue. Our ultimate goal is safety," he said.

Placement of the cameras is determined by existing structures in the area, like telephone poles and adjacent buildings. Fiber optic cables must also be laid out to connect the cameras to the building where monitoring of the area would take place, Whitfield said.

The cameras on Beaver Avenue are located at the intersections of McAllister Street, Locust Lane and Hiester Street.