Trump warns ‘We are watching very closely’ as US Park Police spend $343,000 on mobile surveillance cameras
Big Brother is watching you?
The United States Park Police are moving ahead with a significant surveillance expansion. Records show the agency is spending $343,000 to lease mobile camera trailers. These units come from LiveView Technologies, a company based in Utah. According to The Guardian, this contract runs through the end of February. The Department of the Interior awarded the fully obligated government contract on September 14, 2026.
These cameras are showing up in key spots around Washington D.C. Reports indicate they are near the site for President Donald Trump’s proposed arch. They are also near statues by the Arlington Memorial Bridge. The Park Police previously put up other cameras at the reflecting pool in June. The exact number of new trailers remains unclear. Federal records do not disclose the specific count.
Trump recently linked this security push to his concerns about vandalism. On Monday, October 19, he posted about the reflecting pool on Truth Social. He wrote, “we are watching very closely, and security cameras have been installed.” He also warned that anyone who vandalized the pool would “GO TO JAIL”.
Trump has maintained that vandals caused damage to the reflecting pool
This is despite charges against several people being dismissed. Prosecutors later blamed the damage on flawed installation work. Trump continues to insist that vandals were responsible for the pool issues. He previously expressed regret about not having cameras ready sooner. In August, he had said, “The one mistake with the reflecting pond, they hadn’t put up the cameras yet,” per The Washington Post.
The Interior Department says the move protects these historic sites. A spokesperson claimed the cameras were needed due to an increase in vandalism. They specifically cited actions by leftist activists earlier this year. Meanwhile, Democrats view the spending as an unnecessary drain on resources. Rep. Jared Huffman from California criticized the move. He called it a good example of agencies lighting taxpayer dollars on fire, in service of the president’s whims and lies.
LiveView Technologies is a frequent federal contractor. The company also provides gear to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In March, an ICE division leased 26 camera trailers for $760,400. Another ICE office awarded a $2.2 million contract in June. The company became an approved federal vendor in 2023. This happened under the General Services Administration.
The trailers offer some high-tech features
They can be towed to a site and set up without permanent wiring. The software includes artificial intelligence capabilities. The company says these systems flag people who are loitering. They can also read license plates. LiveView Technologies notes that its systems “do not actively apply facial recognition”. They also state that “customers own their data”.
The company plans to add new hardware soon. They announced a thermal-plus-visual camera for December. This is meant to detect people in low light or total darkness. It is also designed to work through glare, rain, fog, and smoke.
Still, the use of this tech has drawn controversy. Local governments have reported issues with the trailers in the past. A lawyer in Monroe County, New York, complained about a trailer in 2024. He stated it could see into his office windows. County officials defended the placement at the time. They said the cameras protected speakers and attenders. They noted that footage was only saved for investigations.
Reliability has also been a point of contention. Colorado ended a contract for 136 highway cameras last year. The state said many units were offline for long stretches. Colorado withheld about $494,000 in payments as a result.
Critics question the motives behind this deployment
Mike Fox from the Cato Institute discussed the necessity of the gear. He asked if the agency really needs them, suggesting they might be used to score political points. Tony Irish from Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility also weighed in. He criticized the use of systems to track visitors.
The Interior Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. LiveView Technologies also stayed quiet on the matter. It is clear that the presence of these cameras will continue to spark debate. The administration is moving forward with its surveillance plans regardless of the pushback. Residents and visitors will likely notice the trailers at these prominent sites. Monitoring for any signs of future activity is now the priority.
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