pages: CityCouncil/2013-10-01.pdf, 4
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CityCouncil | 2013-10-01 | 4 | Pursue Grant Funding Sources for the Purchase and Implementation of Automated License Plate Recognition Equipment. Councilmember Tam requested the Interim Police Chief to address community questions regarding the License Plate Recognition (LPR) equipment, including what LPR's can and cannot do, how data will be used, and who has the legal right to have access to the data. The Interim Police Chief stated LPR's take a digital photograph of a vehicle's license plate, whether parked or moving, generally within 40 feet of the patrol car on which the LPR unit is mounted; a computer algorithm turns the scanned photo data into computer data; data is sent to a system that checks whether vehicles are stolen, plates are stolen or lost, or belongs to a person with a warrant; if there is a hit, the officer will take appropriate enforcement action; the LPR does not see through walls or into vehicles, or intentionally take photographs of anyone; the main purpose is to determine if a vehicle is in the system and related to a criminal investigation; further stated the City's policy regarding access to the data would be close or in exact alignment with the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center's (NCRIC) policy; there would be very specific criteria for access to the LPR data; he understands the concern about data being stored for vehicles not involved in criminal activity. Vice Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft inquired what are penalties for misuse of the data, to which the Interim Police Chief responded that NCRIC's policy for misuse of data includes anything up to, and including, termination or suspension of APD's access to the database; stated the APD will treat access similar to criminal records; there is a right to know and a need to know; penalties for misusing the system are considered criminal in California. Councilmember Tam inquired whether sworn officers would be pulled from other enforcements duties when an alert comes through, to which the Interim Police Chief responded in the negative; stated if a hit comes through, enforcement action is an officer's normal duty. Councilmember Tam requested the Interim Police Chief provide a snapshot of the LPR beta testing. The Interim Police Chief stated one patrol car has two cameras; the beta test started on September 18th; to date, 97,000 license plates have been scanned; the patrol care has not been continually in service; the number of scans is based on partial usage; from 97,000 plates there were 85 hits, which may include duplicates; to demonstrate the value of the LPR, on the second day of the beta testing, a photo was of the front license plate which showed the vehicle was stolen; the rear license plate was also stolen and different than the front plate; after a short pursuit, the suspect discarded a firearm from the vehicle; the pursuit was dangerous and did not continue, but a crime was probably thwarted because of the LPR hit; the LPR is an enforcement aid and investigative tool. Regular Meeting Alameda City Council 3 October 1, 2013 | CityCouncil/2013-10-01.pdf |