Pullman Police Chief Gary Jenkins will meet with the public Wednesday and address privacy concerns regarding the possible installation of security cameras on College Hill.

The meeting, which will take place at 7 p.m. at Stubblefields Bar and Grill, will be the first of three public forums this semester, according to a Pullman Police Department press release.

"The main reason we want to hold the meeting is to address the concerns of privacy," Jenkins said.

The funding for the security cameras comes from the $300,000 federal Smart Policing Initiative Grant the U.S. Department of Justice awarded the Pullman PD last fall, according to the press release.

While Jenkins said the location of the cameras is not yet confirmed Adam’s Mall is the likely location. More than half of the city's disturbance calls, including assaults and domestic disputes, occur on College Hill. Thirty percent of those assaults happen near Adam's Mall.

Jenkins said there are no other security cameras put in place by the city, but it is possible private businesses have security cameras that record footage of public areas.

Other cities that have used cameras as a crime deterrent like the ones that will be installed in Pullman include Baltimore, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Santa Monica, Calif., Jenkins said.

The number of cameras that will be installed in Pullman depend on the bids they receive from vendors, according to the press release. However, they estimate there will be eight cameras.

Jenkins said the police are still finalizing requests and proposals for vendors to bid on the project and they are looking to make the cameras as vandalism-proof as possible.

The cameras are tentatively set to be installed during the spring or summer of this year, according to the press release.

Jenkins said he hopes anyone with concerns regarding the cameras comes to the meeting Wednesday to discuss them.

"We really want to encourage anyone with concerns (to come)" Jenkins said. "We would very much appreciate public participation."

Jenkins said they will give an overview of the project and the draft of their policing strategies. The draft of the video policing policy is available online as well as at the Pullman Police Department, Pullman City Hall, Neill Public Library and Pullman Chamber of Commerce.