Case Study: City of Hayward achieves 60% reduction in crime calls in 3 months with V5 Systems OnSight Portable Surveillance Units

City of Hayward Reduces Crime Calls by 60% in 3 Months

City of Hayward, California faced persistent downtown crime — open-market drug dealing, violent incidents, loitering, prostitution and thefts around City Hall and the nearby BART platform — which undermined a broader downtown revitalization. Because newly renovated streets lacked fixed power and trenching would be costly and disruptive, the city partnered with V5 Systems and deployed OnSightTM Portable Surveillance Units to secure high-traffic areas without expensive infrastructure work.

V5 Systems supplied solar-powered, preconfigured, on-board-communications portable units that could be rapidly redeployed; over a dozen were placed around City Hall and pedestrian paths. The result was dramatic: open-market drug dealing stopped almost immediately and thefts and other street crimes fell by over 60% (a 60% reduction within three months), effectively restoring downtown public safety while avoiding trenching costs — prompting Hayward to plan additional V5 Systems purchases and add real-time gunshot detection.

City of Hayward

Nathaniel Roush

IT Manager of Public Safety