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California Authorities Aim to Start Flock Camera System to Reduce Vehicle-Related Crime

3 mins read

About 70% of all crime in Morgan Hill involves a vehicle, and authorities said there has been a surge in criminal activity in the region as a whole, the city’s police department said.

Officials introduced a new camera system that they hope would catch the criminals, but the problem is, not everyone supports the decision. Crime is a highly-talked-about issue and is one that is spreading across the Bay Area quickly. Morgan Hill, despite being a small city, is not safe from the problem.

Flock Camera System

“I have definitely seen more crime. You think that this doesn’t happen to you, but this does happen and it just seems more frequent than ever,” Nettie Calamia, a resident of Morgan Hill, said in a statement.

Captain Mario Ramirez of the Morgan Hill Police Department said the agency would continue to battle against the surging crime in the city. Officials have issued 25 Flock Safety cameras throughout the region, particularly in areas with high crime rates.

The program would automatically read license plates and supply police officers with vehicle descriptions. Currently, the program is already finding success in Los Gatos and Milpitas, with Ramirez expressing his hopes that the cameras could help reduce and prevent crime in Morgan Hill city.

“We have an unsolved homicide that Flock cameras would have absolutely helped us identify the vehicle at the time, especially where we plan on placing the cameras. So, there are absolutely crimes that we are trying to investigate right now where the Flock cameras would’ve given us the ability to view and give us an investigative lead with a vehicle,” Ramirez said.

Police are expressing their support of the program to help their cause in protecting the city, but residents are torn between agreeing with law enforcement personnel and clashing with the program.

“My first thought is: privacy. We live in a country where we’re supposed to have freedom to come and go and do what we do as we’re living according to the law and rightly. Why do they feel this need to monitor every single person? That’s what it’s starting to look like,” Sandy Hershey, a Morgan Hill resident, said.

“I think that’s an excellent idea. For people to know that we have a system in place, I think just knowing it will hopefully deter people from doing the illegal stuff,” Calamia said in support of the Flock camera system, ABC7 News reported.

Authorities will be holding a town hall meeting on August 12 before making a final decision where residents will be able to express their thoughts and opinions regarding the matter. Officials plan to begin the pilot program next month and run it through September.

Danielle Joyce Ong

Danielle is a local journalist with a passion for exploring stories related to crime and politics. When Danielle isn't busy writing or reading, she is usually exploring the great outdoors and all the hiking trails in the Bay.