Three Eugene police surveillance trailers are keeping watch on areas of downtown.

The trailers — loaded with high-definition cameras — were set to debut at Kesey Square on the intersection of Broadway and Willamette Street, at Broadway and Olive Street, and in the Park Blocks at Eighth Avenue and Oak Street, Eugene Police Chief Chris Skinner said Friday.

"We think that gives us the best opportunity for the public to get used to seeing these," he said. "It gives us the best opportunity for people to know that this is going to be a part of the landscape."

The three trailers cost Eugene police a combined $152,000, according to the department. Each trailer holds three high-definition cameras that have infrared capabilities for recording at night. Police will be able to control the cameras with smartphones or tablets.

> Eugene police seek to deploy video surveillance downtown

Initially, police won't be monitoring live video from the trailers, said Melinda McLaughlin, Eugene police spokeswoman. Instead, officers will be able to check footage recorded by computers linked to the cameras. The trailers can record sound, she added, but police don't plan to listen for now — they only plan to review video if needed.

"The whole point of this is not trying to sneak up on people, as you can tell," Skinner said. "They are (marked with decals) and branded and marketed to be 'Eugene Police Department is in the area. We care about your safety. We're going to keep an eye on things for you.' And that's exactly the message we are trying to send to people."

Police will move and set up the trailers at special events, crime scenes and elsewhere around the city, Eugene police Lt. Doug Mozan said. "We have the versatility to pull these just about anywhere we need," he said.

Follow Dylan Darling on Twitter @DylanJDarling. Email dd@registerguard.com.