New London — On the heels of two community forums with downtown business owners, Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio today reiterated his support for a surveillance camera, lighting and signage system as an immediate step to address some of the concerns downtown.

Finizio, in a meeting with members of The Day's editorial board, said the system could be installed and operational by this summer. Earlier this month, the City Council tabled a request to approve $300,000 in bonding to fund the project.

At Wednesday's forums, business owners expressed their worry that there is not enough of a police presence in the city's main commercial district. Budget reductions led to cuts in the police force, the mayor said, and the current staffing level does not allow for a constant downtown presence.

Finizio also said Thursday that he plans to meet with business owners at the next City Center District meeting and will discuss the possibility of having businesses leave lights at the front of buildings on to cut down on dark sidewalks and alleviate some public safety concerns.