A temporary surveillance camera was installed on a light pole in Carlsbad, and it is raising questions among residents.
The gray, black and white device is located directly below a streetlight at the corner of Roosevelt Street and Chestnut Avenue. It overlooks a crosswalk at a four-way intersection.
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Deedee Trejo-Rowlett, who lives and works nearby, told NBC 7 she spoke to a city worker who was installing the camera on Thursday.
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“We asked why it was going up, and he said, ‘Bad things are happening in the neighborhood, and I can’t tell you why,” she said. “That got me a little concerned and angry.”
Trejo-Rowlett said she has lived in Carlsbad her entire life. She is a third-generation resident and works at her family’s business, Lola’s Deli, which she said has been in the city for 80 years.
“If there’s something going on in my neighborhood, I think the residents should know,” she said.
NBC 7 reached out to the Carlsbad Police Department for a response to why the camera was installed. A spokesperson sent the following statement:
“The Carlsbad Police Department placed a camera at this location following several incidents of vandalism in the area. It is temporary and will be used to both deter future incidents and to assist in the investigation. We have very specific policies for how and when cameras may be used and encourage community members to review this information on the city’s website.”
Trejo-Rowlett said she has seen graffiti, catalytic converter thefts and car break-ins in the area but that the incidents are not "any bigger here than anywhere else."
She also mentioned that she supports the department’s effort to curtail criminal activity, but she would have liked communication.
“I mean, it is what it is. It’s there. I just would have liked to have known what’s going on and why is a camera up there,” she said.
NBC 7 followed up with the department for more information on the vandalism incidents they are referring to, like where and when they occurred, but did not hear back.
