- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Clearlake City Council approves expanding Automated License Plate Recognition Program camera network
Clearlake Police Chief Andrew White went to the council to request adding more cameras this year – not to exceed $65,000 in total – to the Automated License Plate Recognition Program, which the police department began rolling out in September.
His written report said the technology allows for cameras placed at locations around the city to detect vehicle license plates.
While it’s used for identifying stolen vehicles, it’s also helpful in identifying wanted and missing persons, and has helped with investigative leads in crimes including a drug-related shooting. It even assisted police in locating and arresting an individual wanted on an out-of-state kidnapping warrant, White reported.
He quoted a study from the International Association of Chiefs of Police that estimated that 70 percent of all crimes involve the use of a motor vehicle. Based on his experience, White said he believes that number is actually higher.
White said the Clearlake Police Department became the first local agency to deploy the technology; the California Highway Patrol has had a system in place for quite some time.
Clearlake Police started rolling out its program in September with two cameras. By year’s end, it had a total of 14 cameras, four of them sponsored by local businesses, he said.
White called the technology “a force multiplier,” allowing his officers to cover more ground even with limited staffing. The agency has two police officers and a sergeant on duty at any given time, trying to patrol 10 square miles and responding to more than 20,000 calls for service annually.
When they deployed the program, police saw immediate results in recovering stolen vehicles. White said the cameras are placed primarily in a hotpot area for criminal activity in the Clearlake Park area.
So far, they have recovered 20 stolen vehicles, as well as some additional vehicles whose owners didn’t go forward with filing formal reports with police. In some cases, White said the vehicles were found so quickly that they hadn’t even yet been placed on the “hotlist” of stolen vehicles that police monitor and which is updated every four hours.
White said they want to deploy a mix of solar, self-contained cameras plus agency owned cameras attached to signaled intersections and to a towable platform. The goal is to expand coverage focusing on major thoroughfares and access to neighborhoods.
He said Clearlake’s theft rate is disproportionately high for its size. In explaining that, White noted that people who commit crimes elsewhere have been caught after coming to the city.
White said that among the stolen vehicles recovered was one that was stolen by a man from a woman who had stopped to get gas in Los Angeles. The suspect immediately drove to Clearlake, where the vehicle was recovered.
The message that’s being sent to these individuals, said White, is that Clearlake is not a safe haven to commit crimes or victimize the community.
“I think it’s been a very effective tool,” with very strong results for a very short period of time, said White.
White said his agency has been in communication with other agencies, including the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, about further deployment around the county.
He said they are looking at retention periods for the collected data, which he said is a big discussion regarding the technology.
Councilman David Claffey had questions about the cloud storage that holds the information. Pointing out that the police department is collecting a lot of sensitive data, he noted the concern for the potential for a breach and wanted to know if the department has appropriately protected the data.
White said the city’s contract covers properly storing data and issues about sharing data. “I’m confident that it’s protected.”
He said the cameras don’t pick up faces or other information about individuals.
Councilwoman Joyce Overton asked about how the technology is paid for, with White explaining that it comes from police department funds and the general fund, along with salary savings. It is not grant-funded.
During public comment, city resident Pattie Duke asked if the platform supports the addition of residential cameras like hers. White said it doesn’t, but added that there is an opportunity for businesses to do it.
“I love what has been happening with the police department and this is a huge addition,” said Supervisor Bruno Sabatier.
He asked if the cameras could be used for tracking illegal dumping. White said it could potentially be used for that, and would tie in with remote cameras that they’ve also deployed in areas where they’ve had dumping.
City Manager Alan Flora said he and White had a conversation with county Public Services Director Lars Ewing, who is interested in discussing with the Solid Waste Task Force the use of the program to address illegal dumping. Flora added that there’s more to come on that item.
Claffey said he appreciated White bringing new technologies to the table and had read his data retention policy, concluding it's on par with other communities’ policies and that the department is handling the program professionally.
“I think at some point the determination was made by a prior city council that the benefits to the community brought by this passive surveillance technology outweighs potential infringement on privacy and civil liberties,” Claffey said. “I feel like that balance needs to be reexamined a little bit.”
Claffey said he thinks the policy for data retention is too broad and that regulation has lagged. He pointed to a bill in the legislature that would reduce the retention window to 24 hours, while the city’s policy allows for up to 60 days.
He said the council needs to have an in-depth policy conversation about collecting data about its residents and how they’re using it.
Councilman Russell Perdock asked how the data comes in and is reported to officers.
White said it comes in through encrypted cellular and fiberoptics connections. It goes first to dispatch, which then sends it out to officers in the field.
He said advocacy groups have raised issues with data and its use. White said a very small percentage of the data is searched, and when it is, the reason for accessing it must be audited.
Perdock said he thinks it’s a fantastic program. “I see this as an officer safety tool.”
Overton moved to accept the resolution to add cameras to the program. The council approved it 4-1, with Claffey voting no.
Council approves ad hoc committee, gets concealed weapons process update
In other news, the council met Toby, a friendly adoptable senior dog at Clearlake Animal Control.
Council members also approved creating an ad hoc committee to review the creation of a youth sports complex on a portion of a 31-acre property behind Safeway the city recently purchased, and approved submitting the recognized obligations payment schedules for both periods of fiscal year 2021-22.
In other business, White updated the council on the procedure for issuing concealed weapon permits, which the city currently engages with the sheriff’s office to do as the police department has limited staffing to carry out the program. Perdock had asked for the matter to be brought forward for discussion.
It appears that Clearlake’s arrangement with the sheriff’s office will continue after the city’s insurer, the Public Agency Risk sharing Authority of California, or PARSAC, sent a letter to Flora noting that due to increased liability exposure to it and its other members, it couldn’t support a proposal for the city to provide concealed weapon permit services.
During the discussion, however, it was agreed that the police department could take applications and perform Live Scan functions to help city residents not have to make a trip to Lakeport to submit the required materials to the sheriff’s office.
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