The Brief
- The Santa CLara County District Attorney’s Office is starting a new program to help identify the perpetrators of smash-and-grab robberies.
- The program offers funds to equip businesses with security cameras that can be monitored by San Jose Police Department officers, who can use the feeds if someone breaks into a business in the program.
SAN JOSE, Calif. – The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office is donating $100,000 for small businesses to connect their security cameras to real-time monitoring by the San Jose Police Department.
A press release from the county said the pilot program aims to equip at least 200 businesses with high-tech security systems. When a security system at a business in the program is tripped, the technology allows SJPD to patch into the business’ surveillance cameras to see the crime in progress, get descriptions of the suspects and their vehicles, and relay that information to responding officers.
The department can also use automated license plate recognition cameras to identify the vehicles.
“Our small businesses are under threat. Organized retail theft gangs are terrorizing our community. They’re not just destroying storefronts and stealing jewelry, they’re destroying dreams, stealing livelihoods and making it difficult for mom-and-pop store owners to put food on the table for themselves and their children,” Jeff Rosen, the Santa Clara District Attorney said at a press conference announcing the new program. “To respond to that threat, my office, the SJPD and other law enforcement agencies have created specialized units to track, arrest and prosecute criminals who are targeting our retail businesses.”…