The Public Safety Committee discussed resolutions outlining general housekeeping items for the end of the year, along with a city resident that is having harassment issues. P-J photo by Sara Holthouse

As videos of child baiting become more prevalent – including a recent video that was captured in Jamestown – a City Council member is asking how the Jamestown Police Department handles those issues.

Councilman Joe Paterniti, R-Ward 4, asked Police Chief Tim Jackson about a man that has been reported to be child baiting in the Jamestown area. Some streamers and social media personalities have been posing as underage children, baiting child predators and tricking them into meeting in person similar to the television show To Catch A Predator which aired on NBC from 2004 to 2007.

“Obviously social media comes into play with a lot of these things, but there’s an individual that’s been arriving a lot in town that’s kind of baiting, like child (baiting),” Paterniti said. “Is that something the police department follows up on?”

Jackson confirmed that they do and that the individual in question is not from in town and is actually from out of state, though he was not sure where specifically he was from.

Council members spent some time Monday counseling a city resident how to best handle alleged harassment by a neighbor.

The city resident said he and his neighbor’s boyfriend have been involved in multiple incidents including parking in front of the house rather than his girlfriend’s house, kicking snow back on the sidewalk after it was plowed, and shouting expletives at him in public areas. The resident reported being disabled and asked what can be done, adding that the man claims to have friends in the police department so he says he is allowed to do whatever he wants.

Councilman Jeff Russell, R-At Large and chair of the Public Safety Committee, said while there was nothing to be done about the parking issue as it is on a public street and a public parking spot that is not designated handicapped, the other issues are at another level.

“What I would recommend is if you get something like that on video, with him screaming and swearing at you, if you get that on video, you file a harassment charge against him, file for a warrant, and ask for an order of protection, that would be solid evidence with a video of him screaming,” Russell said. “Obviously don’t antagonize him to get a video, but you have every right to video outside, bring it to the police, file for a warrant and get an order of protection.”

Jackson agreed, and added that when he kicks the snow back over the sidewalk the resident can call them. Other members of the committee agreed with getting video evidence as well.

The Public Safety Committee also briefly discussed the upcoming city Christmas Parade, happening the Saturday after the meeting, and the Jamestown Police Department’s Honor Guard opening the Sabres game that Monday night. There are nine Honor Guard members in all, but not everyone was able to be at the game. They were also contacted by the Sabres and asked to do that.

Besides general housekeeping resolutions that were on the agenda for the most recent Public Safety Committee meeting, outlining annual approvals that come up at the end of each year, members of the committee also discussed an issue a constituent was having with a neighbor’s boyfriend.

The general housekeeping resolutions included the voting session schedule for next year, approval of the Post-Journal as the city’s newspaper for proceedings and official notices, granting Bell Jar licenses to specific organizations, and looking at tour rate card requests.