The City of Salinas is moving forward with plans to install new streetlights and security cameras in parts of the Alisal, responding to years of residents’ concerns about prostitution and human trafficking.
Residents near Kern, Roosevelt and King Streets have told city officials that once the sun goes down, their neighborhood becomes dark and vulnerable to criminal activity. In response, a cross-department team, including police, public works and community development, spent the past several months meeting with neighbors to identify the most pressing safety needs.
Community Development Director Lisa Brinton told the council this week that lighting and cameras were the top priorities.
“We asked them to identify their areas of concern and what they thought about the additional street lights, cameras, parking restrictions and removal of vendors. And so, what came out of that conversation was that they were highly supportive of additional lighting and cameras,” Brinton said.
The council approved more than $600,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant funding for new LED streetlights in the area. Police say the cameras will only help investigators track and respond to human trafficking cases.
“This issue isn't going to vaporize overnight. It's still going to take a concerted effort with our police department and working with the neighborhood to eliminate this issue. This is really a deterrent. It is a step towards making the neighborhood feel more safe,” Brinton said.
Construction on the new streetlights is expected to begin once federal officials approve the funding.
