San Clemente becomes first city in Orange County to allow CBP cameras to monitor beaches

San Clemente is Orange County’s first city to partner with a federal agency on a surveillance plan to monitor beaches and ocean waters for illegal immigration activity with installed cameras.

The City Council on Tuesday agreed to the plan, a year in the making, to partner with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to get a $1 million camera and sensor monitoring system up and running on a hilltop at the Avenida Salvador Reservoir. The camera system will have a view out to the Pacific, from Dana Point Harbor to Camp Pendleton in San Diego County and beyond.

The lease with the agency is for up to 30 years, and the camera can be deployed immediately. They are expected to be up by the end of February, officials said.

The agreement includes the city leasing a 12-by-12-foot spot on the hill to the federal agency for $10 a month, ensuring the agency has guaranteed access to the expensive equipment. The city has other lease agreements with commercial, utility, nonprofit and governmental groups for communication equipment in the same area.

The federal agency has agreed to finance and install the monitoring equipment. As part of the plan, CBP will also pay for the electricity needed to run the system.

The system would be able ...