More cameras and more AI. Inside Hilton Head’s response to crimes on its beaches
New cameras will soon be keeping watch on Hilton Head Island beaches and parking lots as the town explores ways to use artificial intelligence to combat crime.
The town has already started to experiment with AI tools on footage from existing cameras to count the number of visitors in Coligny Beach Park.
New hardware and software upgrades are underway that could help the town deter after-hours criminal activity and respond more quickly to emergencies.
A recent public safety assessment, conducted in partnership with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, identified the need for more cameras, better lighting and updated technology in Coligny-area beaches, parks and parking lots according to Bromage.
“The Coligny area in particular has become a place where young adults and juveniles loiter, from 10 o’clock at night into the wee hours of the morning,” Bromage told The Packet. “Some of these young adults, juveniles are carrying guns.”
In addition to deterring crime and identifying suspects, Bromage suggested the technology could be used to locate missing children, enforce Hilton Head’s ban on alcohol on the beach or crack down on litterbugs.
“We’re going to explore new technology as it’s developed,” Bromage said. “AI and all those things that are emerging [are] useful tools for public safety.”
Cameras on Hilton Head beaches
In a press release, the town said the system will be used “solely for legitimate public safety, law enforcement, and emergency response purposes.”
“The system is not intended to monitor lawful activities but rather to deter criminal activity and aid response efforts when needed,” the press release says.
Hilton Head residents islandwide are concerned about crime, Ward 4 Town Council Member Tamara Becker told The Packet Behind the scenes, Becker said she has been pushing the town to have more conversations about improving public safety in the Coligny and Forest Beach area.
“I’m not in favor of cameras in general, because I don’t like the lack of privacy,” Becker said. “On the other hand, it does help solve crimes, and I’m willing to acknowledge that and understand it has to be part of the solution.”
Four cameras will be installed on beach areas, according to Spinella. Cameras will also be installed in the Coligny Beach Parking Lot, and additional cameras will be added around Coligny Circle, she said.
Work will begin early July and is expected to take about 90 days, according to the press release. The parking lot and beach will remain open during this time.
Funding for the project comes from the town’s Capital Improvements Program budget; a total of $190,000 has been set aside for the camera upgrades, Spinella said. The town will own and maintain the equipment.
What can the cameras do?
The new cameras will be manufactured by Digital Watchdog, Spinella told the Packet.
The company offers a variety of ways to incorporate AI-powered analytics into video surveillance systems, according to its website.
Customers can purchase cameras with or without AI pre-fitted, or purchase hardware and software to process and analyze video footage from any existing cameras using AI tools, according to its website.
Parks cameras transmit encrypted video footage to town’s local network, where it is stored for approximately 14 days, Spinella said. People with “official purposes,” Spinella said, can access the footage and perform analytics using the video management software.
Digital Watchdog’s AI technology can detect and classify objects such as people, vehicles, bicycles and bags, according to product brochures. It can detect whether a person or object crosses a “virtual tripwire” and tracks how long they stay there. Users can customize which combinations of objects and events will trigger specific alarms.
The company’s top cameras can pan 360 degrees, tilt up and down, zoom in as much as 40x using optical zoom or 16x using digital zoom and see in low-light conditions, according to product brochures.
Currently, the town is only using video analytics to collect “unofficial visitor counts for those accessing the beach park,” Spinella said. The software has the ability to use the cameras incorporate more features, such as facial recognition, which Bromage said is "being explored.”.
What other AI cameras are there?
Currently, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office has placed a movable surveillance trailer just past the entrance to Coligny Beach. The portable equipment, which BCSO has owned for about three years, uses cameras manufactured by Verkada, another AI-powered surveillance technology company. Users can use AI to search video footage for anything using natural language and create alerts for concerning activity, according to the company’s website.
While BCSO does not itself contract with Flock Safety, a company known for its automated license plate reader cameras, Beaufort and Bluffton police departments have invested in Flock cameras, as well as the Town of Hilton Head Island, according to previous Island Packet reporting. BCSO uses Rektor license-plate readers and Verkada software. At least 70 ALPRs have been installed throughout the county as of February 2026. Around 100 BCSO employees, mostly investigators, have direct access to the data.
Recent shootings on Hilton Head
Recent reports of late-night gunfire and large gatherings in the Coligny and Forest Beach areas on Hilton Head have fueled public concern, officials say.
In April, a 20-year-old was arrested after allegedly firing three shots in the direction of “innocent people” at Coligny Beach around 10:40 p.m. on a Saturday night. Beachgoers “fled the area in panic” but no gunshot victims were located, police said.
In June, a 27-year-old from Georgia was arrested after allegedly firing a gun on Coligny Beach around 3 a.m. on a Wednesday. The suspected shooter allegedly “just felt like shooting off shots” and did not have a specific target, police previously told The Packet.
In November 2025, a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old were arrested in connection with a shooting that occurred shortly after 1:30 a.m. on a Sunday on South Forest Beach Drive. Two other teens were hospitalized, police said.
In 2024, two teens visiting from New York were injured in a shooting on a Sunday night at 11:30 p.m. They were part of a large group of teenagers at a party on the beach, police said.
‘Big Brother’ or a tool for ‘public safety’?
For those concerned about privacy, Bromage stressed that the beach is a “public space,” and video surveillance equipment is to be expected.
It’s not a thing for “Big Brother” to spy on people, Bromage said. It’s for “public safety.”
“We’re not interested in people that aren’t breaking the law,” Bromage said.
Becker told The Packet she shared people’s concerns about privacy, but she’s able to “reconcile” that with the knowledge that action is needed to address the current public safety issues in the area.
In the future, Becker wants to see more “community policing,” which she says would involve more public safety officers out on the beaches, building relationships with people and deterring crime through their public presence. A “lot of good,” can come out of that model, she said.
“That is what I’m pushing for,” Becker said. “I think that we need visibility.”
