TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Mark Danaj, City Manager
FROM:
Eve R. Irvine, Chief of Police
Sanford Taylor, Information Technology Director
Derrick Abell, Police Captain
Julie Dahlgren, Sr. Management Analyst
SUBJECT:Title
Report on Feasibility of Community Cameras and License Plate Readers at Points of Ingress and Egress to Manhattan Beach (Police Chief Irvine).
APPROVE, DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the project, discuss the report, and provide direction.
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There is no immediate fiscal impact associated with the recommended action. If City Council determines that they wish to move forward with the project, monies will be appropriated in the Fiscal Year 2016/2017 Police Department budget. Cost will depend on the level of license plate reader and camera coverage. In preliminary cost studies, basic coverage (monitoring traffic in one direction at each intersection) can be achieved for approximately $300,000.
BACKGROUND:
At the November 3, 2015, City Council meeting, staff was directed to report back to City Council regarding the feasibility of installing community cameras at critical points of ingress and egress to the City.
The presence of community cameras in public areas has been a growing trend in the United States. Video cameras alone can generate an overwhelming amount of evidence for investigators to review; however, a combination of cameras and automated license plate reader (LPR) technology has proven to be an efficient way for law enforcement to generate investigative leads and locate suspects.
Fixed LPRs scan the license plates of vehicles coming into our community. The plate information is then automatically checked against a database for existing unresolved violations, wants/warrants, etc. LPRs also allow law enforcement to search for the license plates of suspicious vehicles (based on descriptions) in certain intersections at specified time frames. High definition video cameras directed at the roadways can help to identify additional characteristics of a suspect vehicle, such as make, model, color, and identifying features, as well as a physical description of the occupants.
Arrest statistics show the majority of offenders who commit burglaries in Manhattan Beach are not Manhattan Beach residents. Installation of LPRs at high-traffic intersections on the City’s borders can potentially expedite the identification and apprehension of criminals, helping to preserve and enhance safety in the City.
DISCUSSION:
One of the challenges Manhattan Beach faces is that there are approximately 50 points of entry into Manhattan Beach. Staff has selected the proposed locations strategically in order to capture the maximum number of vehicles, but it would be cost prohibitive to achieve full coverage.
Staff worked with the Traffic Engineer to evaluate traffic flow at various major thoroughfares and identified seven (7) intersections for installation of community cameras and LPRs (see Attachment 1, Map of Proposed Locations). Each of these locations carries an average daily traffic flow of at least 15,000 cars:
1. Rosecrans and Aviation
2. Rosecrans and Sepulveda
3. Artesia and Sepulveda
4. Artesia and Aviation
5. Aviation and Marine
6. Aviation and Manhattan Beach Blvd
7. Highland and 45th
If City Council directs staff to move forward, staff anticipates a six to eight month timeline for full implementation.
Proposed Timeline:
April/May - Invite resident comment on Open City Hall
May - Conduct a community meeting
June/July - Conduct a formal bid process (if needed)
July/August - Return to City Council with Vendor Recommendation
August/September - Information Technology Department to upgrade network and infrastructure, as needed, to support the project
September/October - Installation of cameras and LPRs; System Testing
November - Public Awareness Campaign
Agencies currently utilizing fixed LPRs and cameras in the greater Los Angeles area include Long Beach, Chino, La Verne, Claremont, and Beverly Hills. In December 2015, Rancho Palos Verdes City Council approved the installation of fixed cameras and LPRs at two locations. Peninsula area Cities (Rancho Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, and Rolling Hills Estates) are also in discussion with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department regarding installation of LPRs at 8 strategic locations throughout the Peninsula area.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is in the process of finalizing negotiations with LPR vendor, Vigilant Solutions. The Sheriff’s Department has prepared the technical specifications including management, extended warranties, data access and management, hosted data solutions, and other security and legal requirements for the purchase of LPR cameras. Based on their evaluation of LPR vendors, the Sheriff’s Department has determined that only Vigilant Solutions meets the criteria. The County is in the process of preparing a sole source agreement. When approved, the Sheriff’s Department agreement will ultimately allow other governmental agencies to purchase cameras for the same price with the same terms.
Under Manhattan Beach Municipal Code Section 2.36.150, Cooperative Purchasing, when purchases are made in concert with or through agreements executed by other government agencies, formal bid requirements may be waived with City Council approval. The Manhattan Beach Police Department will be closely monitoring the progress on the Sheriff’s Department’s agreement with Vigilant Solutions and will look for opportunities for cost savings and regionalization to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of project.
If the project is approved, it should be noted that this is not a surveillance system that will be monitored 24/7. However, video may provide investigators an additional tool in their toolbox to solve crime. The presence of cameras and LPRs may also serve as a deterrent to criminals.
PUBLIC OUTREACH/INTEREST:
If City Council directs staff to move forward with implementation of the Community Camera and LPR Project, staff will conduct a community meeting to share information and answer questions about the project. Staff will also solicit feedback through Open City Hall on the City’s website.
To maximize the effectiveness of the cameras and/or LPRs as a crime deterrent and crime prevention tool, the Police Department will coordinate a public awareness campaign, including press releases, social media postings, and Nixle messages.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Not applicable.
LEGAL REVIEW
Cameras and LPRs are designed to enhance public safety. The Police Department understands that privacy is a concern for many residents, and we will operate the program in a manner that is respectful of that concern. Recently adopted state law (effective January 1, 2016) discussed below requires the Police Department to make certain public disclosures and enact privacy and security measures related to the use of LPRs.
Federal law allows video monitoring and recording to take place in public roadways and right of ways. The cameras and LPRs would only be focused on public roadways, in accordance with Federal guidelines, and not into private homes or businesses. There will also be no audio recordings.
In 2015, three California bills were signed into law that impact how public agencies manage, store, and use LPR data. These bills were enacted on January 1, 2016.
• SB 34 classifies license plate information as personal data, which affords it protections under the law. SB 34 mandates that LPR operators and end-users adopt a usage and privacy policy for the purpose of ensuring that LPR technology is used in a manner that is consistent with individuals’ privacy interests and civil liberties. The policy must be available to the public in writing and posted conspicuously on the City’s website. If the license plate data is compromised, law enforcement is required to notify of the public of the breach. The bill also requires agencies to have specific policies regarding the collection, storage, and use of this data, as well as policies regarding access for agency employees. Agencies are prohibited from transferring the data to an outside entity, except another law enforcement agency, as permitted by law.
• SB 570 updates the existing template for notifying citizens of security breaches related to their personal data. In conjunction with SB 34, this now includes license plate information read by LPRs.
• AB 964 updates the definition for encryption as related to personal data. This will require an agency to constantly monitor industry standards to ensure encryption technology is up-to-date and the data is secure.
The Police Department will adhere to all federal, state, and local laws pertaining to the project. Video recordings will likely be stored on a secure server at the Manhattan Beach Police Department, where the data will be saved for 30 days before being purged. License plate data will be stored for one year, and likely be made available to other local law enforcement agencies through data sharing agreements. Video and LPR data will be stored longer if it pertains to a specific criminal investigation. Law enforcement officers will only be authorized to conduct license plate searches for legitimate criminal investigative purposes. In addition to internal oversight of data retrieval, there is an audit process in place which is managed at the state level by the California Law Enforcement Telecommunication System. Images captured by City-owned cameras will not be released to a private entity, unless required by law.
CONCLUSION
The Manhattan Beach Police Department’s priority is to maintain public safety within the community. If the project is approved, the addition of community cameras and LPRs may deter criminals from entering our City and will aid in solving crime.
Attachment:
Map of Proposed Locations