A new, scenic development surrounded by winding waterways is billed as a safe haven. Only four bridges lead in and out of the area with security checkpoints and a fiberoptic video surveillance program. Every license plate scanned on those roads will be cross-checked with a DMV database for stolen cars. The first homes are already going up at River Islands, and the people who move in can expect to be part of a new era in policing.

Cops could also surprise suspicious individuals through remote one-way speakers —the same shown in a video of a Southern California city where cameras are set up at a park with high crime.

In that video, teens scrambled after the video operator warns them the park is closed. It’s Big Brother in a small city.

Jarrod Miles moved his family to Lathrop from San Jose. “My wife and I were looking for a place that was safe for our daughter and so that’s why we chose out here,” he said.

Lathrop’s city manager says he’s considering buying a high-tech city-wide surveillance system as a way to solve crime faster and also deter it.

Aware there could be privacy concerns, Miles says he’s unsure how comfortable non-stop surveillance makes him. “I can see myself going either way on it,” he said. “I think it’s a good thing to debate.”

Karen Nguyen moved to Lathrop from Oakland to live in a safer place. “It’s good to have surveillance, but […]