GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — Mesa County Commissioners just approved a roughly $100,000 grant for the Mesa County Sheriff's Office to improve lighting, security camera coverage and deploy surveillance trailers.
Operations Division Chief Art Smith says the Mesa County Sheriff's Office applied through Safer Streets Grant Program. The lighting and security cameras are needed for Kimwood Park, since Smith says a number of calls come in from nearby residents about suspicious activity and possible crime within the park after dark.
MCSO will deploy surveillance trailers that can be left in areas permanently placed security cameras can't cover.
The trailers will be unmanned and solar-powered, equipped with cameras and lighting.
One of the main spots Smith plans to use these trailers — trailheads.
He tells WesternSlopeNow they're not designed to be undercover, hoping the obvious sheriff's surveillance cameras could deter possible vehicle break-ins while people are down the trail.
Amy Vager is an avid hiker in the Grand Valley when she's here for work, and she says there are moments she worries about her vehicle being broke into while out adventuring.
Amy thinks it's a smart idea, not just for crime prevention. She feels if somebody also goes missing, Sheriffs could use the footage to see if they made it back to their vehicle and note the date and time of their arrival.
Smith tells WesternSlopeNow he's not sure when this program will go into effect, but now that the commissioners have approved the grant, Mesa County Sheriff's Office can get the wheel rolling.