Columbia Housing Authority approves security cameras for Paquin Tower

The Columbia Housing Authority is set to install more security cameras at Paquin Tower.

The board of the public housing group approved a resolution Tuesday night to add more than a dozen cameras on 14 floors of the apartment building. CHA said it would need to work with Red Stone Equity Partners, its federal tax credit investor, to buy the cameras.

Installing two cameras on each floor could cost between $40,000 to $60,000 total, Housing Authority CEO Phil Steinhaus said. Staff would place the cameras where the hallways of each floor intersect.

Steinhaus said security staff have discussed adding more cameras for several years. CHA held off when it renovated the apartments in 2016 to manage the cost of the project. Steinhaus said the property now has the money to buy the cameras.

The June safety report for CHA shows that staff responded to 17 calls at Paquin Tower last month. Two involved investigations regarding drugs.