It's been several months since the first of three gang-related shootings in the city occurred at the Port Moody Recreation Complex, and life at the centre has long returned to normal.

But that hasn't stopped the city from considering upgrading the security at the popular facility.

And those changes could include the installation of video surveillance.

Mayor Mike Clay confirmed city officials have talked about putting cameras up at the centre, but no decision has been made yet.

He suggested the challenge, in the case of the shooting, is that it was an isolated incident and there is not a pattern of such activity at the centre.

Clay also noted any cameras would have to be placed strategically to strike a balance between safety and privacy.

"For them [cameras] to be of any value, they have to be good and they have to be in the right spot," he said.

"We're always looking at things from every angle."

Video surveillance at a city facility is not a new concept, as there are more than a dozen cameras in and around City Hall.

Recently, Abbotsford police installed a video camera on a rural road after a pair of shootings in that city.

Clay said he doesn't have an issue with the proliferation of video cameras on city property.

"I think people are getting more realistic about realizing pretty much everything you do is probably on a camera or being watched somehow," he said, pointing out much of the video footage from the Stanley Cup riots in 2011 was caught on people's cellphones.

"The only people who care are probably doing something they don't want recorded."

He argued the video footage and evidence captured in many modern cameras is so good it can make a difference in a case.

On May 30, noted gangster Gurbinder Toor was gunned down in the parking lot of the recreation centre as he got out of his car on the way to a ball hockey game that evening.

The investigation led police to shut down the parking lot for hours, leaving dozens of users stranded at the centre until the early morning.

The incident also prompted a review of security and emergency procedures at the facility.

The city has since repositioned some lights on the grounds and cleared away brush as possible hiding places to improve security at the centre.

Clay noted the city had considered changing the access and exits to the parking lot, but determined a traffic pattern change could put pedestrians at greater risk of being hit by a vehicle.

The shooting also led to a change in emergency protocols in the building and among staff.

There is now a lockdown plan for staff in terms of where they can send patrons in the case of an emergency.

Following the shooting, staff at the centre were also giving rides home to some of the stranded users as a nice gesture.

Clay noted that, unfortunately, that put the employees and the city at risk for liability, so the practice has been stopped.

He said the lessons learned from that evening would be implemented and brought to all city-run facilities in the future.

jdeutsch@thenownews.com