The city of Columbus will spend about $18,000 to install surveillance cameras at the Riverwalk over the next couple weeks in the first of several phases to beef up park security, said Columbus Police Chief Joseph St. John.

Nighthawk Security and the city have already entered an agreement to place 10 to 12 cameras at strategic locations throughout the park, St. John said.

Although officials have discussed adding emergency telephones and more cameras in future phases, the total cost of the project is unclear, he said.

The project follows a three-week Riverwalk graffiti investigation that netted three juveniles.

But St. John said citizens had already approached him with concerns about security in the “crown jewel” of the city.

“This is (about) concerns people have brought to the police over the past three years,” he said. “This isn”t just in response to one incident.”

The cameras, he added, are preventative measures to prevent crime from marring the area.

“We”ve invested way too much money to let the park turn into that,” he said.