MASSENA — The village Board of Trustees has approved more than $7,000 for surveillance cameras to monitor misconduct at the water treatment plant and the Department of Public Works.

DPW Superintendent Hassan A. Fayad said these cameras are needed to prevent theft and trespassing at the DPW. The department has had salt, chipped stone and equipment stolen; once vandals stole a motor and buried it nearby, Mr. Fayad said.

“We also have people who fly up and down that sand pile with ATVs,” Mr. Fayad said. “If it continues, I’ll have no other recourse than to close off the backyard.”

The DPW also has had problems with people dumping trash in the landfill in its backyard, which is strictly for brush, leaves and grass clippings. Dumping some items could pose a safety hazard, Mr. Fayad said.

“We hire a contractor to grind that stuff up, and if there’s a bicycle part in there that they don’t see,” it could pose a safety risk, Mr. Fayad said.

The surveillance cameras will transmit a feed to the office of Mr. Fayad, who plans to report anyone who does not have authorization to be there. He noted that to dump brush in the backyard of the DPW, one first must obtain a voucher from its offices at 85 Robinson Road.

“We want to keep the facility open for public use, but we don’t want it getting abused,” Mr. Fayad said.

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