Oak Bluffs is considering adding new security camera coverage downtown.

At last week’s select board meeting, Oak Bluffs police Chief Jonathan Searle approached the board to make the case for cameras in the Circuit avenue area, arguing that it would make the area safer by both preventing crime and collecting evidence.

The first step, according to town administrator Wendy Brough, would be the town expanding its security camera policy to allow for the new installations.

“We’ve seen recently, there are more severe incidents, and it would be great to have the ability to get footage of such things to assist in identification and prosecutions if needed,” Chief Searle said.

Chief Searle told the board that the system of new cameras would not be widespread, information collected would not be shared and would only be stored for 30 days.

“There’s never audio recorded,” he said. “It’s just simple video recording.”

Select board chair Dion Alley mentioned Circuit avenue, Kennebec avenue and Healey Square as areas that could benefit from more coverage.

For select board member Mark Leonard, the issue of privacy was a concern. He wondered how it could be impeded by increased security camera presence.

“When you start putting cameras on public spaces, you move from security, like our current policy, to a surveillance system,” he said. “There’s privacy concerns.”

Select board member Emma Green-Beach said she understood Mr. Leonard’s concerns about privacy, but that the idea behind the cameras is not to create around-the-clock surveillance.

“It’s not surveillance, it’s not Big Brother, it’s not watching us all the time,” she said. “It is a tool to solve issues, to find answers if something comes up.”

Chief Searle reiterated the importance of the measure. He said the department recently used private security footage to solve a hit and run.

“It’s necessary to have this at our disposal,” he said.

The board will vote on the policy change at a future meeting.