HEREFORD — American Border Patrol, a nonprofit organization, launched a plan Thursday to demonstrate how easy it would be for federal officials to count illegal immigrants entering the United States.

The group, with help from designated contractors, is setting up a system of cameras and sensors along a 30-mile segment of the U.S.-Mexico border in Cochise County, said president Glenn Spencer.

“We can’t reveal where they will be because they would be stolen or damaged, but they will be on smuggling trails and in places where people are known to have crossed the border,” he said.

An effort is underway to raise $100,000 by Jan. 15 for the initial phase of the operation, which is known as “Hidden in Plain Sight.”

Plans call for using 50 very small high-tech cameras and 150 fairly inexpensive seismic sensors, said Spencer. Also, a silent aircraft will be flown over the border to take thermal images and count people passing north.

The sensors contain special electronics that filter out wind noise and animals, and can actually count people walking by the nature of their cadence, he explained. They will be used to make sure the cameras are functioning in highly-trafficked areas.

Mario Escalante, public information officer for Border Patrol’s Tucson sector, said the agency appreciates the efforts by concerned citizens, but it “discourages private parties from taking matters into their own hands.”

The program came about as a result of the Sept. 9 Government Accountability Office report on the Secure Border Initiative, according to Spencer.

The GAO’s recommendation was “to improve the quality of information available to allocate esources and determine tactical infrastructure’s contribution to effective control of the border, the Commissioner of [Customs and Border Protection] should conduct a cost-effective evaluation of the impact of tactical infrastructure on effective control of the border.”

Spencer said the Department of Homeland Security could measure its effectiveness by counting the number of illegal crossers with a similar system and then subtracting those individuals who get apprehended by Border Patrol agents.

He added it is not realistic to expect officials to stop every person from coming into the country. But, he added, DHS could set a goal to try to limit the amount.

For more information, visit www.americanpatrol.com.