PPCC Discusses Public Safety, Camera Installation

By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor

Pacific Palisades Community Council met on Thursday, January 11, to discuss local updates, including community safety.

Camera installation is being considered to boost security in the Palisades and assist Los Angeles Police Department with enforcement, with several community stakeholders joining the meeting to discuss the possibility and different options.

PPCC and its partners have researched different cameras: PPCC Vice President Sue Kohl said she spoke with Flock Safety and learned of two different camera options. The discussion leaned favorable to Flock’s Safety Condor Pan-Tilt-Zoom camera, which is ideal for open areas, like intersections and parks, according to the company.

Kohl said the permits would be “a bit more difficult to get,” but the PTZ cameras can zoom and LAPD would be able to access its feed.

The cameras would require fundraising, as they are subscription based, and would cost $3,000 per year per camera, according to Kohl.

“We’d have to raise the money and then donate it to the police because we as personal residents aren’t able to get that installed in the public,” she explained during the meeting. “It’s something to look into for sure … if we could get people to volunteer their properties for installation … and certainly at the park.”

Pacific Palisades Residents Association President Jessica Rogers said she has also spoken with Flock, with a focus on its cameras that can read license plates, and her organization aims to “create a barrier for criminals within all the boundaries of the Pacific Palisades.”

“The reason why PPRA started this process … is we noticed crime going up and we saw what was going on around the rest of Los Angeles,” Rogers said. “The software system that Flock offers is what is most advantageous. It’s part of our mission—we signed up many, many decades ago as being the representative for safety in this community and we’re going to continue doing that.”

Rogers explained that PPRA has also identified individuals who have agreed to cameras being installed on their properties, and because they would be installed on private properties, they would not require permits.

PPCC Area 3 2nd Alternate Representative Michael Edlen said Flock sounds like the best system, and a fund has already been set up for anybody who would like to contribute to the safety efforts.

“It’s a 501(c)(3) through [Rec and Parks], and there’s already enough money in that account to fund more than a year’s worth of cameras,” Edlen said. “All it would take is coordination with the people at the city to get approval for whatever needs to be done.”

PPCC President Maryam Zar said there is a fiscal sponsor and a donor, and asked attendees to consider the information presented at the meeting to strategize as a community.

“This doesn’t have to be a PPCC project, so we don’t necessarily need to take a vote, but I do think that the PPCC galvanizes a lot of great things around the community,” Zar said. “So if we do take a vote and come up with a strategy, it becomes easier for me to then go to the city and RAP, and bring all the pieces together so we can have these installed, at least in the public spaces. We’ll leave the private stuff to PPRA because they are already doing a great job, and I think it would be important for us to let PPRA know that we support them.”

After the meeting, PPCC announced that it identified Flock’s Condor cameras as most appropriate for the Palisades’ open space needs.

“On January 25 when we meet again, the president will bring a proposal to the table for discussion and possible motion,” according to PPCC. “Fundraising has already begun, and money has been secured by at least one of our board members. City and state elected officials and agencies are in support of our work and will be relied upon to help this private/public partnership launch a pilot with permitting, installation and monitoring support.”