SAN DIEGO -- Government agencies throughout San Diego County should stop using surveillance cameras in public places until the systems are thoroughly evaluated, according to a report released Monday by the American Civil Liberties Union.

The recommendation was made in a 25-page report by the ACLU, titled, "Under the Watchful Eye," which examined the proliferation of surveillance cameras throughout California.

The ACLU argued in the report that government-run video surveillance systems threaten the public's privacy rights.

"Not only do some of these expenditures border on the absurd, they come at the expense of proven crime reduction measures, such as better lighting, foot patrols and community policing, and have an enormous and negative impact on our civil liberties," said Kevin Keenan, executive director of the ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties.

The analysis concluded that cities are moving quickly to install video surveillance cameras in streets and other communal areas with little or no public debate, accountability or oversight.

The report's authors also say that government monitors may integrate facial-recognition and other technologies to develop databases that track individual behaviors.

ACLU researchers surveyed 131 jurisdictions in California and found 37 communities with some type of video program.

Of those, none had undertaken a comprehensive evaluation of the cameras' effectiveness. Eleven police agencies enacted policies to regulate use of the systems.

Surveillance cameras in San Diego County track activities at various street corners, trolley stops and special events in San Diego, El Cajon, National City, Vista and Chula Vista.

Police and city officials told the San Diego Union-Tribune the cameras are effective in fighting prostitution and identifying suspects.

"A lot of criminals are bothered by cameras," San Diego Police Department Sgt. Alan Hayward told the newspaper.