Watching over you: McAllen police plan to install 120 surveillance cameras

City officials hope to install up to 120 video surveillance cameras throughout McAllen within five years as part of a police program intended to deter crime.

The cameras would be located in parks, along trails, throughout commercial areas and even at the entrances to some neighborhoods, McAllen police Chief Victor Rodriguez said. The first cameras could be up in a year.

"The video surveillance system is designed to deter criminal activity," Rodriguez said. "It is a project we envision as long term. We're anxious and excited to get started with it."

DETERRENT

The cameras would be linked wirelessly to a system of fiber-optic cable running throughout the city, which would then relay the images to police.

Installation of some parts of the cable network is already complete, so police could begin installing cameras in some areas of the city by next summer, said Belinda Mercado, the city's information technology director.

Ultimately, business owners and subdivision developers may be asked to voluntarily share the cost of new cameras.

"We want to do everything we can to have the safest city around," Rodriguez said.

In addition to deterring crime, Rodriguez hopes the cameras will help police identify suspects.

"Let's suppose you're the owner of a subdivision that's within range of the system," Rodriguez said. "We'd like cameras there in case we ever need to find someone in a black Chevy at 3 a.m."

PRICE

The program is expected to cost about $4,000 per camera — about $480,000 overall - which includes the cost of installation and software. Rodriguez said that figure may drop.

That outlay is in addition to the cost of the fiber-optic cable, which is at the core of the program. The city has installed 12 miles of fiber-optic cable at a cost of about $11,000 per mile, Mercado said.

There are plans to install another 30 miles of cable over the next two years, though that figure may change. City officials say the system could ultimately be used to give city employees wireless access to McAllen's municipal computer network while in the field.

McAllen would be the latest Rio Grande Valley police department to deploy new high-tech tools to fight crime. Last year, Harlingen began using cameras to identify people who run red lights.

Some Mission police vehicles are now equipped with cameras that automatically scan and read license plates. And Pharr police are using electronic ticket-writers to help make the citation process more efficient.

A Harlingen committee charged with beautifying the city even plans to use digital cameras to deter illegal dumping in problem areas.
"The technology is here today," Rodriguez said. "It is our job to make use of what's available to us right now."

Some details of McAllen's plan — including the exact locations and models of the cameras — have not yet been determined, the chief said.

Mercado said the city hopes to solicit proposals from camera vendors this month and select one by the end of the year.

CONCERNS

No other Valley law enforcement agency has a surveillance program as extensive as the one McAllen police are proposing, Rodriguez said. McAllen does have cameras at some intersections that are used to trigger traffic lights, but they do not provide video feedback and are not used for surveillance.

Police video surveillance is common in other parts of the county like New York City, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.

But with the cameras come controversy. Groups like the American Civil Liberties Union oppose the widespread use of police video surveillance, arguing the systems have a potential for abuse and are not effective at deterring crime.

Most academic research — including all studies in the United States — indicates the cameras don't result in a significant reduction in crime, according to a University of Southern California study published in May.

And a preliminary study by University of California-Berkeley researchers reveals that San Francisco's surveillance cameras only deter a few types of property crime in the cameras' immediate vicinity. The cameras had no effect on violent crime.

The UC-Berkeley study has helped fuel debate within San Francisco over the $900,000 spent on the cameras so far, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

CRITICS

The program also raises serious questions about the balance between security and privacy, said Corinna Scheurich, an attorney with the South Texas Civil Rights Project in San Juan.

"I understand we have a need to do law enforcement and people have a desire for security and safety," Scheurich said. "But there's a potential for abuse here."

"We're risking people's privacy being intruded upon," Scheurich said.

Rodriguez said he is aware of the privacy concerns some people may have about the cameras.

He emphasized the neighborhood cameras would be placed at "control points" — exits and entrances into communities — and not pointed into private areas.

"We're sensitive to that thinking," Rodriguez said. "Our approach is strictly along public areas."

Scheurich encouraged city leaders to have public hearings on the program to get residents' input, just as they do with issues like property taxes and zoning regulations.

The City Commission has not taken official action yet approving the surveillance, though the commission would eventually have to vote to approve the purchase of the cameras.

McAllen Mayor Richard Cortez said police would not actively monitor the cameras, but they would be able to review video footage of areas where crimes have occurred.

Cortez also noted this isn't McAllen's first foray into police surveillance. The tall Sky Watch Sentinels placed prominently in commercial areas here are equipped with video cameras.

The mayor said the new surveillance program would help McAllen promote itself as a safe city.

"Basically, what we're telling the criminals is: ‘McAllen's watching,'" Cortez said.

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Ryan Holeywell covers PSJA, the Mid-Valley and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4446.