A neighborhood in San Jose is taking matters into their own hands as they say they’ve had enough with car break-ins and porch pirates in the area.
They say their network of cameras, including license plate readers, got clear images of recent burglars south of Bernal Avenue between the West Foothills and Highway 101.
“We saw them when they drove in,” said Issa Ajlouny from S.A.F.E.R. San Jose. “We saw them when they made a U-turn.”
The imagines are clear from 120 feet away and they even caught and recorded the license plate of the stolen car. The community cameras are placed on strategic homes, so they can catch everyone coming and going.
“This is a neighborhood, I would call it a neighborhood watch on steroids,” said Ajlouny.
Police are still looking for the suspects who got away. It’s this kind of crime that prompted the neighborhood to arm themselves with state of the art technology.
“People are tired of being burglarized, and harassed, and being taken advantage of, and we’re fighting back,” said Ajlouny.
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The neighbors work with San Jose police to enhance and expedite their investigations but some worry about being recorded just for driving through.
“If you got nothing to hide, law abiding citizen, what you got to hide? But if you have warrants and stuff, sure you don’t want to get run,” said Doug Klang from San Jose.
The neighbors hope someone recognizes the faces in the recordings. The program is paid for with city grant money and with funds from a lawsuit settlement.
