Properly Subversive/Sherman R. Frederick
Like barbarians of old, bad guys drive into the peaceful villages of Marin from the east and north to plunder our stores and sell fentanyl to our kids. That’s why we need to improve our defenses with license-plate readers on our borders.
OK, that may be an over-the-top way to say it. But, that’s the argument Marin County Sheriff Jamia Scardina is making to the County Board of Supervisors for permission to install 31 cameras.
Here’s the report from the Independent Journal:
“According to the sheriff’s office, there were 597 reports of property crime in Marin from June 1, 2022, to May 31, 2023. They included 207 thefts, 161 burglaries, 102 instances of vandalism, 75 motor vehicle thefts, eight cases of shoplifting and one case of arson. During that same period there were also 93 reports of shots being fired.
“‘Our objective here is to make the streets of Marin County safer by deterring any criminal activity that comes through our county,’” Scardina said. (Emphasis mine.)
So here’s the proposal: Install cameras to monitor Marin City, Strawberry, Greenbrae, Oak Manor, Santa Venetia, Peacock Gap, Marinwood, Lucas Valley and Atherton Avenue and Indian Valley Road near Novato.
That way we can monitor the comings and goings of these modern-day Vandals out for the plunder.
Personally, I’m not a big fan of surveillance because it not only watches the barbarians, it also watches the Romans. But it must be said that guarding the walls of the Marin castle from marauders does, in fact, make sense from a security standpoint.
The question is this: Is it worth the trade-off?
Any arrests from these crimes?
I don’t want my phone or computer monitored, that’s too personal. When I am out in the community I don’t mind cameras to monitor the streets. Bring on the technology and keep our communities safe. If we are doing nothing wrong what does it matter? If you are a law-abiding citizen, let them monitor!