LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lakeport City Council this week approved a request from the police chief to begin using automatic license plate reader technology as a crime-fighting tool.
Chief Brad Rasmussen presented the request during the council’s Tuesday night meeting, receiving a 4-1 vote to authorize it. Councilman Michael Green voted no, citing privacy concerns.
The contract with Flock Safety will cost the city $22,000 in the first year and result in the installation of eight cameras. That first-year cost breaks down as $2,000 for installation costs and an annual cost of $2,500 per camera, Rasmussen reported.
Rasmussen said Flock Safety operates on a two-year contract requirement but only bills for a year at a time. The second year will cost the city $20,000. The city can cancel the contract at a cost of $4,000 to remove the equipment.
He said the automatic license plate reader program has been added to the police department’s goals for fiscal year 2021-22, and earlier this year the council authorized a budget amendment that included the first year of costs to start the program.
Rasmussen said the technology will prevent officers from having to review video, noting it’s an inexpensive way to have the equivalent of another officer on the street in many locations.
He cited an estimate from the International Association of Chiefs of Police that 70% of all crimes involve the use of a motor vehicle.
Only authorized personnel who have been trained will be granted access, as required by law. Rasmussen said the data will be shared with other law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies.
The city of Clearlake and county of Lake have already implemented such programs and are using Flock Safety as their vendor, Rasmussen said.
Thanks to interagency agreements, Lakeport Police officers already have access to data in those systems, and Rasmussen added that both the Clearlake and county systems have registered stolen vehicles from the city of Lakeport.
He said the city of Lakeport has had crimes committed with vehicles involved where, if they’d had the system in place, it could have helped them identify suspects.
John Anderson from Flock Safety told the council, “Our mission is to eliminate crime.”
Anderson said the company is in more than 1,400 cities, with Northern California one of its biggest markets.
He explained Flock Safety does not use facial recognition and doesn’t plan to do so, and that it has created a transparency portal in the form of a website to report on its work.
The system is used proactively and is tied in with the California Stolen Vehicle System, so it will alert Lakeport Police about stolen vehicles, Anderson said.
Anderson said the majority of stolen vehicles are associated with crimes, and in many situations, the vehicle was stolen with the purpose of committing another crime.
Rasmussen said a majority of serious crimes — like strings of burglaries — are committed in Lakeport by people who don’t live there and are using vehicles to come into town.
Green said there are several privacy concerns with these types of systems, noting that recording driving habits could raise First Amendment concerns.
He said he would prefer the money be spent on salaries rather than this technology and didn’t see why Lakeport Police needed the system if other local agencies had it.
Anderson explained that Lakeport Police can’t search for anything they want under any circumstances when using the system, noting the audit trail.
Parlet said he agreed with some of Green’s concerns, but didn’t think it would be a problem for Lakeport and said it was a good idea to move forward for the next few years.
Councilman Michael Froio also acknowledged the risks raised by both Green and Parlet. However, he supported implementing the system.
“I see this as being a huge benefit to the people of Lakeport,” Froio said. “I’d like to see this move forward.”
Mayor Stacey Mattina said she felt it would be negligent not to use the system, and Mayor Pro Tem Mireya Turner agreed, adding that equipping the police force with every tool it needs has always been a top priority for her.
Turner offered the motion to approve the system, with Froio seconding. The council voted 4-1, with Green the lone dissenter.
In other police-related business, Rasmussen received approval from the council to purchase a new Dodge Charger patrol vehicle from Matt Mazzei Chevrolet in Lakeport.
Mazzei’s bid was for $39,323.60, but the total cost will be up to $65,000 to cover the vehicle and additional equipment, Rasmussen said.
The new vehicle will replace the department’s last 2010 Ford Crown Victoria patrol car, he said.
Rasmussen said the cost of these patrol vehicles has increased by $8,000 since the department last ordered a vehicle in April of 2021.
He said it could be six to seven months before they get the car due to factory delays.
Councilman Kenny Parlet said that, based on what he’s heard about the vehicle supply, it could be up to a year before the department gets the new patrol car. “Let’s just be patient.”
In other business on Tuesday, the council authorized the professional services agreements with Dokken Engineering totaling $196,540 for the Forbes Creek Headwall Repair Project and the Hartley Street Culvert Repair Project.
Public Works Superintendent Ron Ladd told the council that Caltrans allowed the city to do a noncompetitive contract for a consultant due to not being able to get more bids.
City Manager Kevin Ingram said the project has been anything but simple, but it’s important.
The council also presented a proclamation designating January 2022 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month in the City of Lakeport, heard a brief update from members of the All Children Thrive Youth Governance Council, received traffic safety reports and approved a resolution to submit an application to the Small Community Drought Relief Program for the modification of the city’s intake structure.
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Lakeport City Council approves automatic license plate reader program
- Elizabeth Larson
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