Page 42 - Security Today, May/June 2019

Video Surveillance
Reducing Violence
HS
ow security cameras helped King City police improve safety
ituated 51 miles southeast of Salinas, King City, Calif. was incorporated in 1911 as “City of King” in honor of pioneer Charles H. King, whose
2013 and 2015, the city’s homicide per capita rate for victims between 18 and 22 years of age was the highest in the state of California. The main reason for this is that the city had become a point of contention in a turf war between rival Latino gangs to the north and south of King City.
Welcome on Board
This is the situation Police Chief Robert Mas- terson walked into when he came on board in July 2016. With a department of 17 sworn officers, including the chief, police faced an uphill climb in curbing this disturbing trend.
“For an average town of about 13,000
By Tom Cook
success at farming created a need for railway access to what became known as King’s Sta- tion in 1886. With its beautiful, tree-lined streets and quaint historical downtown, the city serves as a gateway and access point for Pinnacles National Park and the Monterey County wine region. Since the first settlers arrived in the 1880s, King City has grown to a population of about 13,000.
In recent years, however, King City has become known for a different reason; in both
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GOVERNMENT SECURITY MAY/JUNE 2019
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