City to install police surveillance cameras
Officials hope the devices installed in streets and parks will strengthen public safety in the region
Carson will install police surveillance cameras across its main streets, public parks and facilities in a bid to strengthen public safety.
The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution to place cameras at the interior and exterior of all city parks and facilities. It's part of the city's effort to strengthen security and help law enforcement catch criminals, Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes said.
“The most direct benefit of this citywide safety solution is to lower crime rates in the area where the cameras are installed. These cameras not only have the immediate effect of deterring crimes but also, as cases begin to be solved and criminals realize they will likely be caught, potential offenders typically commit fewer crimes,” she said.
About a month ago, the council approved another resolution, which directed the L.A. County Sheriff's Department to install license plate readers throughout the city's main streets. The system captures pictures of passing cars as well as their license plate. The pictures will then be stored into a searchable database and compare with a list that police are looking for. It will alert police once a vehicle of interest has been identified.
The total cost for the citywide license plate reader program is $815,215.24 with a five-year contract, according to city staffers.
Lt. Pasquale Aiello of the Carson sheriff's station said he anticipates that up to 73 cameras will be installed, which will be spread across the city. The program will help law enforcement officers find a victim's stolen car quicker, he said. In many cases, a stolen car could be gone for a few days, Aiello said, before being located.
“Now we're able to get it while it's still fresh, like a freshly stolen car and probably the person who stole it is driving it,” Aiello said.
There was no public opposition to the project during the council meeting. But surveillance camera programs often spark privacy concerns. The American Civil Liberties Union has opposed municipal surveillance programs for years, saying that such efforts have not proven effective and can be susceptible to abuse.
“Each camera will be strategically placed in public locations and not directed in the frame of any residential homes.” — Carson Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes
However, the mayor said the cameras are effective as a deterrent for crimes, and that's the bottom line for residents.
“Each camera will be strategically placed in public locations and not directed in the frame of any residential homes,” the mayor said.
The city plans to install 402 cameras based on the need and size of the city facilities, the mayor said. The access-control system allows staffers to better manage the movement of employees, visitors and contractors as well as the security of each facility.
At the moment, City Hall, the Juanita Millender McDonald Community Center, Veterans Park, Carson Park and Mill Park are the only facilities equipped with video surveillance systems.
City Hall is the only site that has an access-control system installed. The existing cameras are so outdated, however, that they no longer can be repaired or maintained, officials said.
The project placing cameras at parks and facilities is estimated at $5.1 million. The first $400,000 for the system will be drawn out of the city's general and the park and development funds. The rest of the project's budget will be added to next year's fiscal plan.
Carson's crime rate has been going down, Aiello said. In 2019, the most recent year that data is available, there were 444 violent crimes in Carson, including five homicides, 31 rapes, 122 robberies and 286 aggravated assaults, according to the FBI database.