El CAJON, Calif. (KGTV) - They've made long, dangerous journeys from all over the world. San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson says asylum seekers shouldn't feel in danger once they reach the United States.
"We want to be proactive, not reactive. We want to make sure that those people are safe and don't become victims of crime in our community," said Supervisor Anderson, District 2.
Supervisor Anderson says about a dozen migrants were dropped off at a trolley station in El Cajon in the middle of the night back in December.
"They don't have credit cards, they don't have checkbooks, they have cash, and when you release them past midnight in the dark, they're easy prey for those criminal elements that would take advantage of them," said Supervisor Anderson.
So far, the massive influx of migrants hasn't materialized.
"Before Title 42, we had street releases. So I was very concerned that after we removed Title 42, those street releases would increase dramatically, fortunately, they haven't," said Anderson.
But Anderson wants to be ready. He granted El Cajon forty-thousand dollars of county money to buy a second mobile camera trailer.
The mobile surveillance systems are used across San Diego at shopping centers around the holidays and during special events.
Mayor Bill Wells says the extra set of eyes is welcome.
"Certainly, there is a need for it, we've had increased homeless problems, and we've had increased crime problems," said Mayor Wells.
Catholic Charities says its shelters have not reached capacity since Title 42 was lifted. A spokesman says they aren't aware of any street releases in San Diego since the policy was lifted.
"It wasn't massive numbers of people, but they were coming at odd hours, and we didn't know if they were going to need help. Having more reconnaissance seemed like a good idea," said Mayor Wells.
The county money is administered through the Neighborhood Reinvestment Program grant.
The new unit will arrive within the next couple of months, according to the police department. It can be moved to different neighborhoods based on the need.
