Councilwoman Zapf Questioned by Community and Media on Her Police Camera Plan

Lorie Zapf questioned by NBC7 reporter Dave Summers on the camera controversy.

Audience at OB Town Council Meeting Divided Over the Police Cameras

The packed Masonic Center became focused on the planned installation of the police surveillance cameras along OB’s waterfront.

With standing-room only, Wednesday nights OB Town Council meeting became the center of the controversy over the 10-camera system, as Councilwoman Lorie Zapf (pronounced “Zaph”) was in attendance and forced to answer questions from the crowd and the media about them.

Screen capture from NBC7 newsclip.

It was the first opportunity for opponents of the cameras – and community members at large – to question and confront Zapf about the cameras, as she snubbed a December community forum on them and has refused to meet with or even talk to the organized group formed in opposition. During questioning by one reporter as to why she didn’t attend the forum, she said she didn’t recall the meeting.

And at one point, after Zapf tried to give a rigorous defense of the camera, Town Council Gretchen Newsom took a straw poll of the audience. With at least 4 local TV cameras rolling, hands went up – and it was clear that the crowd was split almost down the middle between supporting and opposing the cameras. (It may have been 60-40, with supporters in the majority.)

Newsom spontaneously announced: “See what did I tell you. It’s divided.”

Always loving a good fight, conflict or whatever draws eyes, the local TV stations have capitalized on the OB camera controversy. And rightly so, as they are part of the media, they have cameras. Most of the television accounts of the cameras and Wednesday night’s meeting were ultimately sympathetic to proponents of the cameras but a couple were quite critical – and hammered away at Zapf.

Here they are, the TV reports:

Dave Summers of NBC7 was fairly good – OB Surveillance Camera Program Moves Ahead Despite Concerns

This title was good: Surveillance cameras spark outrage in Ocean Beach by CBS8 with the opening,

Ocean Beach residents met face-to-face Wednesday night with the councilwoman who is pushing for police cameras along Ocean Beach. 

Councilwoman Lorie Zapf has been met with resistance since she announced her 2016 legislative proposals, and on Wednesday night, the focus was on her push for surveillance cameras along the waterfront.

This headline by 10News was fair: Ocean Beach community is divided over plan to add 10 security cameras to public beaches with the sub-head: Merchants and residents don’t see eye-to-eye

Here’ s Fox5 .