State Senate President Stan Rosenberg delivered good news this week about a troubling topic.
Rosenberg said the state Department of Transportation is about to install video cameras on the French King Bridge. Police see this as a significant step, but not the only one planned, to reduce the number of suicides, attempts and false alarms at the bridge.
Area residents are too aware that the span that carries Route 2 over the Connecticut River between Erving and Gill has too often been used by people determined to end their lives. When police receive a call that someone has jumped or a vehicle has been found abandoned near the bridge, rescuers spring into action.
The cameras will help.
“It’ll solidify our rescue/recovery responses if we can confirm somebody did jump and it’ll get us a better timeline for suspicious vehicles on either side of the bridge,” Gill Police Sgt. Christopher Redmond said Such incidents include the case of Tyler Hagmaier, who was a suspect in a murder in Plymouth earlier this year. His abandoned car was located parked near the bridge.
At the time it was unclear whether Hagmaier jumped or abandoned his car to trick police. His body was later found in the river. Had cameras been in place, there’s a chance police would have determined that Hagmaier didn’t flee the area.
Having that information will allow emergency personnel to respond correctly. That can help cut down on hours spent combing the river by boat or calling in mutual aid, including the volunteer dive team based in Northfield.
“These cameras are an essential tool to help our police and first responders handle incidents more quickly and efficiently,” Rosenberg said in a press release. “I have been a strong advocate for more targeted investments in increased public safety technology measures to help make our communities less dangerous and ensure the protection of all our residents.”
But having two cameras keeping an eye on the bridge is just the start.
Local officials from Erving, Gill and Montague and lawmakers have been working to find the right kind of barrier to inhibit those seeking to commit suicide while still allowing pedestrians to use the bridge to take in the scenic beauty of the spot.
“MassDOT is continuing its efforts to develop an enhanced permanent barrier system along the bridge that will be designed to increase safety at this location,” Department of Transportation District 2 Highway Director Patrick Paul said in a press release.
Sadly, these measures may not bring an end to suicide attempts at the bridge. But it may provide enough of a deterrent to reduce the numbers while improving the speed and efficacy of police and other emergency responders at the scene. Meanwhile, the public should think about a final comment from Sgt. Redmond: “More important than the cameras are finding ways to keep people from jumping in the first place.”