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    Letter: San Clemente’s creepy surveillance cameras
    • January 30, 2026

    I read Erika Ritchie’s recent story about San Clemente allowing the surveillance of south Orange County cities by US Customs and Border Patrol with serious concerns. According to Ritchie’s story, the federal government will be installing a 25+ foot tower high in the hills above San Clemente next month. The system includes a one million dollar high-powered surveillance camera and “sensor-monitoring system.”

    I live in Laguna Niguel and have not paid much attention to this story since I figured the surveillance system was limited to new cameras at the beach to monitor pangas smuggling immigrants to our shores. When I decided to dig deeper, I landed on a quote from San Clemente Mayor Pro Tem, Steve Knoblock who claims these high-powered cameras are, “powerful enough to see if someone is smiling on Catalina Island.”

    That means this surveillance equipment, monitored by the federal government, can track the movements of every adult and child in San Clemente, Laguna Niguel, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano and, apparently, Catalina Island.

    Why weren’t the surrounded cities informed of this and given the opportunity to ask questions, learn more and weigh in on this invasive surveillance system? Who from the state or local municipalities will be watch-dogging this to prevent illegal surveillance or other abuses?

    This should alarm every one of us, regardless of political affiliation — especially small-government and privacy advocates.

    Valerie Burchfield Rhodes, Laguna Niguel

    ​ Orange County Register 

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