Arizona Town Installs Surveillance Cameras Inside Fake Cactus Plants
The cameras will be used as license plate readers to track stolen vehicles.
Residents of Paradise Valley, AZ, will see cameras inside fake cactus plants around town after a town council vote last year.
The city of Paradise Valley in Arizona has installed video surveillance cameras inside fake cacti around the town.
The cameras are part of a $2 million police technology upgrade that the Paradise Valley Town Council passed in 2014.
Town officials say the cameras are license plate readers that will run license plates of cars against a hot list database to see whether a vehicle has been stolen or the subject of an amber alert, Fox 10 Phoenix reports.
The cameras inside fake cactus plants raised residents’ confusion and suspicion, especially when town officials failed to announce the cameras purpose and initially refused to provide any information on the devices.
Town officials say and the cameras are not being put in fake cacti to be secretive; rather the town is trying to make the cameras aesthetically pleasing.
Currently, the cameras are not active.
If you appreciated this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!
Related Content
Leading in Turbulent Times: Effective Campus Public Safety Leadership for the 21st Century
This new webcast will discuss how campus public safety leaders can effectively incorporate Clery Act, Title IX, customer service, “helicopter” parents, emergency notification, town-gown relationships, brand management, Greek Life, student recruitment, faculty, and more into their roles and develop the necessary skills to successfully lead their departments. Register today to attend this free webcast!
