Poway consistently ranks as the safest city in San Diego County, and among the safest in the state, but in addition to being safe, it’s important to feel safe. The San Diego Sheriff department’s Safe Poway program uses a combination of prominently placed Sheriff’s cameras in public areas and a registry of private cameras to deter criminal activity, assist with investigation and improve the efficiency of response calls. The program was initially presented to the Poway City Council last year and is officially up and running. A community update was provided by Lt. Lon Nguyen of the Sheriff’s Poway Station at the Nov. 7 council meeting.
Four of the five sheriff’s cameras are at city parks, with the fifth located near the intersection of Twin Peaks and Pomerado Roads. These cameras are highly visible with the intent to deter crime, as well as observe potential crimes as they happen. They are not equipped with technology to read license plates or provide facial recognition. Access to the cameras is limited to Sheriff’s department personnel only and while the cameras are not actively monitored throughout the day, the Sheriff’s department does have the ability to access cameras remotely at all times.
But Sheriff’s cameras can’t be everywhere, which is why the Safe Poway community partnership is both unique and important. Residents and businesses can partner with the Sheriff’s department to share access to their live or recorded video to benefit investigations or track crimes in real time. Residents and business can participate as a registered user (authorized Sheriff’s staff can ask for content if the need arises) or they can participate as an exclusive user (authorized Sheriff's staff would have direct access to your live video content).
