Councillor calls for cameras, lighting in park where Chelsie Probert found

A Halifax councillor plans to meet today with police to discuss installing cameras and lighting on a pathway where two people were found injured in recent months, including an 18-year-old woman who later died.

Coun. Tony Mancini said it's unclear whether increased surveillance and lighting in Dartmouth's Farrell Street Park would have helped Chelsie Probert, but he said those measures likely would have helped the police investigation.

Probert died in hospital after she was found in medical distress June 6 on the path between Albro Lake Road and Farrell Street. Her death has been ruled a homicide.

In February, police found a man stabbed in the same area.

The cost and timeline are uncertain, but Mancini said cameras could be installed fairly quickly — within a month or so.

Mancini said he met just two weeks ago with city staff, police and Nova Scotia Power, which owns land adjacent to the park, to discuss cameras, lighting and cutting back the greenery.

The councillor said he will discuss what he calls "core issues" during today's meeting with Halifax Regional Police.

"The core issues are affordable housing, jobs, food security, engaging the youth, safe places for youth to go, mentors for the youth," he said.

"What we're talking about here — cameras and lighting — are all elements of a safer community, but really it's those other items that are the things that we really need to focus on."

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