35 San Jose small businesses get free security cameras with new pilot program

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- A handful of small business owners in San Jose are getting free security cameras from the city to help fight back against crime.

It's part of a pilot camera safety program that kicked off Tuesday.

Armed robberies, vandalism and smashed windows are all things business owners in the Alum Rock Village in San Jose have experienced one too many times.

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"We're concerned because if we don't have cameras around, these incidents will increase," Hien Nguyen, President of the Alum Rock Village Business Association said.

Nguyen has owned a dental office for the past 15 years and serves as a landlord in the area.

On Tuesday, her business is one of 35 getting a set of security cameras from the city, thanks to San Jose City Councilmember Peter Ortiz.

"We're not going to allow this to continue to happen and that the city of San Jose stands with our small business community," Ortiz said.

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Each camera comes registered with the San Jose Police Department's CAM program to ensure good communication between the department and small businesses.

He says this is in response to thieves targeting some of San Jose's most vulnerable populations.

"Unfortunately when crimes happen here in San Jose, a lot of times, they target our immigrant community because maybe they're less likely to interact with our police department and especially now, with the presidential elections, there's going to be more of a hesitation for our immigrant community to reach out to the police department," Ortiz said.

Now, he hopes this will send a bigger message to criminals.

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"We're watching you, we're partnering with our small businesses, we're not going to look the other way and we will be prosecuting if individuals take advantage of them," he said.

It's providing peace of mind for Nguyen who says this has been a long time coming.

"These cameras are critical and it lets us know that the city's listening, the city wants to help small businesses grow and they're very invested in our future," she said.

For now, this is only a pilot program.

If it's a success, Councilmember Ortiz hopes to expand the program across his district in eastside San Jose.