PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. – The city of Paradise Valley has installed video surveillance cameras inside fake cacti around the town.
The cameras are part of a $2 million police technology upgrade that the Paradise Valley Town Council passed in 2014.
Town officials say the cameras are license plate readers that will run license plates of cars against a hot list database to see whether a vehicle has been stolen or the subject of an amber alert, Fox 10 Phoenix reports.
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The cameras inside fake cactus plants raised residents’ confusion and suspicion, especially when town officials failed to announce the cameras purpose and initially refused to provide any information on the devices.
Town officials say and the cameras are not being put in fake cacti to be secretive; rather the town is trying to make the cameras aesthetically pleasing.
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Currently, the cameras are not active.
