Mailbag: Security cameras are an invasion of privacy

Re San Clemente considers Border Protection surveillance to spot panga boats at sea
I strongly oppose the proposed installation of border patrol cameras near the water tower at the top of Salvador in San Clemente. While the stated purpose is to monitor coastal activity and detect panga boats, this justification raises concerns that deserve far more public scrutiny than it has received.

These cameras, by virtue of their elevated position and technological capability, will not simply be pointed at the ocean. They will inevitably have visibility over nearby neighborhoods and cities, raising the possibility that residents’ homes, backyards and daily activities could be subject to surveillance.

This is not a minor inconvenience. It is a direct intrusion into the privacy of law-abiding citizens. Security should never come at the expense of fundamental civil liberties. The idea that our community could be monitored in this way without safeguards, transparency, or consent is troubling.

Even more concerning is the report that a member of the San Clemente City Council may have initiated contact with federal authorities to request this installation without input from the community. If true, this represents a serious breakdown in public trust.

Decisions that affect the privacy and rights of residents must include dialogue, public awareness and accountability. This proposal appears to have bypassed all three. I urge local officials to halt further action on this project until a full transparent review process is conducted, including public hearings and clear explanations of how privacy will be protected.

Our community deserves safety and respect for our rights, not one at the expense of the other.

Georgia M Smith
San Clemente

Location, location, location

There is a famous saying that could apply to what is happening in Newport Beach regarding the building of a new police station, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” And what deprives the current Newport Beach City Council of a good perspective is that their average age is in the 40s.

In their initial choice of a location for the new station, the lack of experience in such transactions along with the attitude that they know best has created a difference of opinion between the younger generation and the older generations in the city.

Experience is a great educator.

The difference in viewpoints is perhaps not necessarily categorized so easily and may change as information is revealed and circumstances change. But the first indication of it appeared at the beginning of the discussion as to which of the three locations available for a police station was appealing to the council.

There was talk of creating a committee. And in the beginning resident members were included. But then Erik Weigand and Noah Blum limited the ad hoc committee to three council members, removing the resident members. (The motion to form a councilmember-only committee passed 5-1, with Robyn Grant voting against it and Joe Stapleton abstaining.) This had the effect of eliminating open meeting requirements. At the Jan. 31 meeting the council approved the Civic Center Park as the “ preferred location” for the new police station.

In response to residents’ outspoken dissatisfaction with the choices and attitudes of the council, they eventually posted a “ fact sheet” on their website and have agreed to form a new advisory committee with resident members to advise the council on design and location of the new station. There are three properties under consideration, including the city park.

Why is the Civic Center Park a bad location for the new police station?

1. In 2008 when the Civic Center was built, the park was promised to the residents as part of the package.
2. There are over 2,000 arrestees released annually from the police station (six per day, on average) who potentially will be hanging out in the park or library.
3. There are other choices for the station, which many of the public feels are preferable because of the problems and great expense of locating it in the park.
4. Civic Center Park is the most expensive choice for a new police station because of the serious problems that will occur if it is placed there such as traffic issues, and serious environmental and site preparation problems.
5. Most importantly, the residents of Newport Beach are overwhelmingly opposed to the construction of the station in the “people’s” park.

Lynn Lorenz
Newport Beach