Ever feel like you’re being watched? It’s probable that you are, at least if you’re standing somewhere near one of Santa Maria’s crime cameras.
The Santa Maria Police Department announced on April 9 that it recently acquired 11 new camera pods, according to Sgt. Russ Mengel.
The cameras—metal boxes with multiple cameras attached, which the police call “Blue Light Public Safety Camera Pods”—are currently being installed in several high-volume crime areas throughout the city, Mengel said, adding that they will serve as a preventative measure.
“Most importantly, they deter crime,” Mengel said. “The hope is that they capture the crime or elements of the criminal act.”
The department acquired five camera pods in 2015 from a pilot program at a cost of about $9,000 each and began installing them in November 2015.
The new equipment will give the department a total of 29 cameras in the city. Mengel said his department is currently reviewing city crime statistics to know where to place the additional cameras.
The cameras aren’t monitored on a 24/7 basis, Mengel said, but added that could possibly change. In the meantime, officers can review stored footage.
There’s also no map of exactly where the cameras are or will be located, although Mengel said that could change as well.
