License plate scanning cameras will be installed across Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s celebrity studded neighborhood, as their California hometown sees an uptick in crime.
In May, police were alerted to two intruders at the Duke and Duchess’s $14 million Santa Barbara mansion within 12 days – the couple and their two children believed to be at home at the time.
Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department is installing six license plate recognition cameras around star studded Montecito home to stars including Adam Levine, Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Ellen DeGeneres, Ariana Grande and Jennifer Aniston.
In an email to residents, including Harry and Meghan, the Montecito Association said the cameras were being installed ‘in response to the high-value property crime we’ve experienced recently,’ reported The Sun.
‘The crimes are being committed by sophisticated out-of-the-area theft gangs,’ the email continued.
Meghan and Harry will have security cameras installed in their neighborhood after crime spike – the couple have had six secutity breaches in their home prior to July over a 14 month period
The California security scares at the couple’s home (pictured) came as Harry won permission to sue the Home Office, claiming he didn’t feel safe in the UK after his bodyguards were removed
The couple’s celebrity studded neighborhood, Montecito, has seen an uptick in crime with more ‘sophisticated gang theft’ in the area
The solar powered cameras which cost $2,500 will see who is in the area when a crime is reported to have taken place
The solar powered cameras which cost $2,500 will see who is in the area when a crime is reported to have taken place.
They are intended to also assist in missing person searches, active warrants, stolen vehicles, and other investigations as the Sherriff’s Department trials the devices for a year.
The cameras are said to identify vehicle’s make, model, color and even recognize if vehicles have dents or damage.
However, they will not be used for traffic enforcement or facial recognition and can’t identify individual people.
Law enforcement will have 30 days to look through data collected, after which time the information is deleted.
According to The Sun, Craig Bonner, undersheriff for Santa Barbara County, told an online meeting with locals that authorities were having ‘some problems with professional burglars.’
We want these cameras up and running as quickly as possible to capture these folks as they come and go from the area.
‘They have a proven ability to aid investigators effectively solve crimes by providing leads on vehicles that were in an area when a crime is committed,’ he said.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had two separate intruder alarms triggered at their California home in less than two weeks earlier this year – while they and their children were home
While in the US, it was reported earlier this year that the pair have employed Michael Jackson’s former security chief Alberto Alvarez (pictured)
Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department is installing six license plate recognition cameras around star-studded Montecito, including nearby the $14 million mansion Harry and Meghan live in
According to police records, a trespasser at Meghan and Harry’s home was reported on their wedding anniversary, May 19 at 5.44pm
Harry and Meghan were flying back to California from Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee when the second break-in happened
‘They help speed up investigations, and they are a force multiplier; they’re out there working 24/7, rain or shine.
‘It does not involve facial recognition, and the data will be deleted after 30 days unless it is part of an investigation.’
According to police records, a trespasser at Meghan and Harry’s home was reported on their wedding anniversary, May 19 at 5.44pm.
Less than two weeks later, at 3.21pm on May 31 – just hours before the pair were to take a private jet to Britain for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, another intruder was reported.
The California security scares came as Harry won permission to sue the Home Office, claiming he didn’t feel safe in the UK after his bodyguards were removed.
While in the US, it was reported earlier this year that the pair have employed ex-President Barack Obama’s former bodyguard Christopher Sanchez and Michael Jackson’s former security chief Alberto Alvarez.
Police records show that prior to July there had been six security alert calls to their US home over 14 months.
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk