The city of San Jose has announced a pilot program dubbed Capture Crime that equips local businesses in high-crime areas with free security cameras.
Mayor Matt Mahan and police Chief Anthony Mata on Wednesday announced the pilot program in which businesses can opt in, and police will give them cameras and hard drives at no cost.
The goal is to help boost security at hot spot shopping centers and make thieves think twice.
"Many small businesses, if it's proven, can afford to invest in a camera system; others cannot," Mahan said. "So our role is to make sure that there's access for everybody. Getting 50 systems out to small businesses for $75,000 is a pretty good deal, and we'll go from there."
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Trine’s Café in south San Jose has been a family-run business for over 50 years.
Owner Licha Montes has seen a lot, including some crime recently on her block.
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“Somebody came in with a knife once and thank God there was a customer that helped me,” she said.
It’s one reason she signed up for the program.
The cameras continuously record and the footage is stored for 30 days.
“With these cameras installed, it’s going to help us a lot,” said Montes.
The program runs for two years and if it's deemed successful, could expand.
“It is a proven fact, when we have digital evidence, images of the crime per se, those are prioritized within the investigation. When we have little to nothing to go on, it becomes a little more troublesome,” said Captain Brian Spears of SJPD.
Cameras are limited, so any business owners in the designated areas can apply by calling the San Jose Crime Prevention Unit.
