Oxnard police install “community cameras” to combat gang violence
The Oxnard Police Department has installed the first of a series of “Community Cameras” in neighborhoods that police say are adversely affected by gang violence.
The first two camera boxes were installed in the Rose Park and Sierra Linda neighborhoods in Oxnard.
The camera boxes each house three cameras to see several angles. They are constantly recording and officers can check the live feed from their mobile devices.
“We want people to see those up there and realize this particular street or neighborhood is being watched,” said Assistant Chief Eric Sonstegard.
The Community Camera program is a joint effort between the Oxnard Police Department and the family of Joshua Van.
Van was shot and killed by gang members as he walked with friends on the 2000 block of Mariposa Avenue in February, 2014. Van was 24 at the time.
Joshua’s mother Cynthia Gonzalez and other family members began regularly attending Oxnard City Council meetings. Gonzalez often made impassioned pleas for the city to install closed-circuit television cameras as a way to deter future violence.
Oxnard Police Investigators ultimately made arrests of two individuals responsible for the murder of Joshua Van. Police say their investigation was greatly assisted by surveillance footage captured in the area.
In 2016, 32-year-old Christopher Camper was shot and killed less than 1,000 feet from where Joshua was killed. Oxnard Police Investigators arrested the individual responsible for Camper’s murder and were again aided by surveillance footage captured by nearby cameras.
In the fall of 2016 the Oxnard Police Department partnered with the Gonzalez family to begin the Community Camera program. Police said they used asset forfeiture funds, money seized in criminal investigations, to pay for the first cameras.
One of the first camera boxes installed was at Mariposa and Azalea street near where Van was killed.
“These cameras we are hoping are going to help deter this type of crime, and help the community to speak up,” said Carlos Gonzalez, Joshua’s father.
The Oxnard Police Department plans to use a grant to install 20 additional cameras in the coming months. Sonstegard says the cameras will be placed in the neighborhoods most impacted by violent crime.
