National City police are joining other law enforcement departments across San Diego County and adding a new tool they say is designed to strengthen surveillance for deterring crime.
It’s known as the SkyWatch mobile surveillance tower, which gives police officers a high-rise perspective “for crowd control, high-crime area monitoring and missing person command,” according to manufacturer Teledyne FLIR.
Last week, National City Council members unanimously approved the purchase of one tower with funds from a $220,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which the city of San Diego’s Office of Homeland Security administers.
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Funds are part of the Urban Area Security Initiative, which provides funding to enhance regional preparedness and capabilities in designated high-threat, high-density areas, according to FEMA.
The 2019 round of grant funding went to cities such as Escondido, La Mesa and Chula Vista. With Chula Vista’s deployment of its drone program, the police department offered the grant to its neighboring South Bay city, said National City Police Chief Jose Tellez.
“We accepted so I think it would come into great use for us, especially at the mall and for special events,” he said.
National City police are planning to deploy the tower at events where large crowds typically gather, such as the 4th of July celebration at Kimball Park, the Maytime Band Review and the Mariachi Festival in Pepper Park. It would also be placed at the Plaza Bonita Mall and other large commercial locations, such as Walmart, during the holiday shopping season because that’s when law enforcement typically see a rise in vehicle thefts and burglaries.
SkyWatch is a towable, two-story tower with a cabin that has tinted windows and can fit up to two operators with a 360-degree view of the field. It includes night vision, visible cameras and ground radar. The device can also be handled without officers onboard via wireless video streaming and remote control, according to Teledyne FLIR.
Police departments in El Cajon and San Diego and the Sheriff’s Department have been using these towers for years via the same grant program.
It’s worked as a great crime-prevention tool for the Sheriff’s Department, Lt. Fran Passalacqua said in a previous report.
Tellez said he expects the same results in National City, but also to bring a sense of security to residents.
“It’s not only the reduction of crime but at the same time, it’s just the sense of safety,” he said. “For example, for festival-goers or parade goers knowing there’s a police presence there and that police are provided security”
The police chief added that police presence can also make some residents feel uneasy.
“It’s all in how it’s used. This is not the intent for it to be used like Big Brother or anything,” he said, adding that the tower would not be used during protests. “This is for deterrence when there’s a big venue, a big crowd presence where we need to just make sure that everyone’s safe.”
National City police expect to deploy the tower within the next two to three months.
