Wi-Fi could come to Thousand Oaks
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com

Bring your laptop and connect to the Internet while you’re at the senior center, a park, a school or anywhere else in Thousand Oaks.

That’s the goal of John DiGuiseppe, founder and president of ThousandOaksNeighborhoodWatch .org—and not just because it would be cool.

“I’m very interested in public safety, and WiFi access is a wonderful tool for public safety in our community,” DiGuiseppe said.

He imagines how helpful it would be for first responders to have an instant, onthescene, audio and visual connection that would give ambulance personnel a direct connection to emergency room doctors. Police could get immediate identification of a suspect.

“It’s the best technology available today to help them do their job,” DiGuiseppe said.

Capt. Ron Nelson of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department has mixed feelings about adding WiFi to the tools law enforcement uses.

He acknowledged it could speed up the dissemination of information to the public during an emergency and allow deputies to conduct Internet research more efficiently.

But the current system—patrol cars use computers connected to the Internet using cellphone technology—although considered expensive to operate, is more secure in sending and receiving sensitive law enforcement information, Nelson said.

Another concern is that access to the Internet might be a distraction for peace officers who need to stay focused on looking for and fighting crime, he said.

Other cities, such as Tempe, Ariz., and parts of Sacramento, have provided it to their communities, Nelson said.

“Thousand Oaks is an upscale, premier community and needs to have the best technology,” DiGuiseppe said. After those who protect and

rescue us are provided with Wi-Fi access, it can be made available to residents for an optional monthly fee, he said. Citizens will find their lives easier to manage if they’re able to have their computers with them wherever they go, DiGuiseppe said.

“There are 4,000 business owners in Conejo Valley—many who work out of their home—who can operate their businesses any place, any time, 24/7, if they have a laptop with Wi-Fi,” DiGuiseppe said.

There will, of course, be challenges because of the mountainous terrain and the costs involved, he said.

DiGuiseppe, a former City Council candidate, is willing to serve as an advocate for residents interested in making citywide Wi-Fi a reality, he said. “I’m willing to work and build a coalition to ask the city to embrace this program.”

Councilmember Dennis Gillette, who said he’s already considered the advantages of a citywide WiFi program, likes the idea.

“That’s a logical next step for us. We have such an enlightened community, and residents expect

the city to keep up with technical advances in any way we can,” Gillette said.