New Surveillance System Will Monitor Vista Neighborhoods

SAN DIEGO -- Law-breakers be warned.

Vista officials are augmenting their law enforcement services with a mobile surveillance system that will monitor neighborhoods throughout the inland North County city, authorities announced Monday.

The high-speed, high-resolution camera equipment will initially serve as a tool to fight gang, graffiti and drug crimes, sheriff's Cpl. Steve Litwin said. Other types of illegal activity will be targeted later, he said.

A digital recorder will save the captured images for suspect identification and other evidentiary purposes.

The program, funded by federal "Weed and Seed" grant money, will go into use immediately, Litwin said.