A new pilot project to deploy mobile security cameras in San Francisco will feature three cameras mounted on poles, with flood lights and speakers for announcements, city leaders said Monday.
Mayor London Breed held a news conference, along with Police Chief Bill Scott, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins and Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, to announce the camera devices from LiveView Technologies.
The project initially includes three mobile cameras that use artificial intelligence to help identify suspicious behavior.
The devices feature a camera mounted on a 22-foot pole, a speaker for announcements or warnings, and flood lights and strobe lights.
If someone is spotted acting suspiciously around a car, for example, or dealing drugs, the device can play a pre-recorded message that says a recording is being made or the police have been called.
"Our officers are already eagerly embracing other technologies like (automated license plate readers) and drones to make significant arrests," Scott said in a news release. "I can't wait to see what they will do with assistance from these security units."
The fact that they're movable allows law enforcement to place them in crime hot spots as conditions warrant.
A company official said the cameras are already in use in Santa Clara, Los Angeles and Sacramento counties and cost about $30,000 to $40,000 a year to operate.
Two of the cameras will be put somewhere in the Mission District and the Mid-Market area, with the third location yet to be decided.
To learn more about how the cameras operate, people can visit www.lvt.com/resources/lvt-demo.
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