SAN DIEGO — A community meeting discussing 500 proposed surveillance cameras brought dozens of residents to the informational session in the Mountain Vista neighborhood.

The smart streetlights proposed would cost roughly $4 million and be spread around the city of San Diego, with the cameras focused on the highest crime areas.

Concerned citizens raised privacy concerns at the meeting. 

“Surveillance technology is a slippery slope and there is a tremendous amount of concern about privacy issues,” said Melissa Grace, an activist from Rise Up.

Police officials say they are working hard to balance privacy issues with pressing security needs.

“(These smart street cameras) are game changing technology that we have seen throughout the nation, particularly when we had cameras in use before the program was shut off, they solved a significant number of crimes,” said Capt. Jeff Jordan from the San Diego Police Department.

The last community meeting will be held Friday 11 a.m. at the La Jolla Recreation Center.

If the cameras are approved and fast-tracked, they could be operational as early as this summer.