The City of Ceres is installing new cameras at 39 intersections as part of a nearly $2 million traffic upgrade, but the project is also raising questions about surveillance, privacy and who will have access to the footage.
The system includes traffic detection cameras designed to help synchronize traffic signals, as well as surveillance cameras at 20 intersections that police could use during emergencies and criminal investigations.
The first three intersections went live Tuesday, with additional traffic detection cameras expected to be activated through December.
Mayor Javier Lopez said the system is intended to reduce wait times for drivers by detecting vehicles and adjusting traffic signals based on demand.
"I'll be stuck at a light just like anybody else, and you always wonder what's the issue?" Lopez said.
"Now we're looking at a system that will monitor the vehicles that are moving through the intersection, so that way the light won't be on as long," he said.
But the surveillance portion of the project drew additional scrutiny when it came before the City Council in July. Lopez pulled the item for further discussion amid concerns about privacy, artificial intelligence capabilities, data storage and who could access recordings.
"If the question is who has access to these cameras, it would only be public safety, not the engineering department, not a random person who's sitting at an office could have access to this at all, and that is very important," Lopez said.
However, the city's original project documents describe access for authorized city personnel without specifically limiting it to law enforcement. The documents also do not specify how long surveillance footage will be retained.
Lopez did not have an answer about how long recordings would be stored. He said the Police Department has its own policies and emphasized that the project's primary purpose is improving traffic flow.
"The whole purpose of this is strictly for synchronization of the intersections," Lopez said.
Although police could use the surveillance cameras during investigations, Lopez said the system will not be used to issue traffic citations.
"They're not red light cameras," he said.
The city expects to continue activating the traffic detection cameras through December. Installation of the surveillance cameras is scheduled to begin next week.
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