Plaza terrorism grant to be spent on camera system

Homeland Security officials have deemed South Coast Plaza a “key asset” and possible terrorist target worthy of grant money to increase safety, Costa Mesa officials said.

The City Council on Tuesday voted to spend a $47,287 federal grant to install a security camera at South Coast Plaza and infrastructure that will enable city police to tap into the plaza’s existing security system of more than 200 cameras. Police currently have to have incidents at South Coast Plaza described to them over the phone, so seeing them happen via camera will save time and help with police work, Costa Mesa Police Lt. Dale Birney said.

More cameras could be added in the future, but none are immediately planned. The federal funds are part of efforts to create a “buffer zone protection plan” to make it harder for terrorists to attack or spy on American assets. Police were awarded the grant in September 2005 but went through several plans of how to spend it before deciding on the camera system, according to police.

— Alicia Robinson