Police Chief Raffaello Pata made a presentation to the council on Nov. 14 about a proposal to place devices at eight spots in an effort to counter crime. The council directed staff to move forward with the program.
Mayor Bill Kircher said four other jurisdictions in the county use the equipment, and others are considering it.
"The cameras will enhance the Police Department's ability to both deter potential crime and apprehend perpetrators," he said. "License plate information captured by the readers is automatically compared in real time to information about vehicles involved in serious crime or missing persons."
The devices are called automated license plate readers. Tiburon, Sausalito, San Rafael and Novato have implemented the technology, while San Anselmo and Larkspur are evaluating it, according to a staff report by Pata.
"ALPR technology has proven to be an effective preventative and investigative tool in the UK since 1976," Pata wrote. "United States law enforcement agencies started using ALPR technology in the early 2000s."
"Communities with ALPR systems have reported crime reductions of up to 70%," he wrote. "In some areas that included a 60% reduction in non-residential burglaries."
The estimated cost of leasing a system is $25,200 for the first year and $24,000 for a second year. The purchase price would be approximately $52,000 plus about $3,800 a year.
"Staff will need to return to council for authorization to execute a contract with the vendor and to request council approval of a budget appropriation," said Town Manager Christa Johnson.
Residential burglary in Ross has increased from two crimes in 2020 to eight so far this year, according to Pata. The town had 13 grand theft cases in 2020 and nine so far this year. One vehicle theft was reported in 2020, and five this year.
The locations for the cameras will include Sir Francis Drake Boulevard at the town limits; Winship Avenue at Garden Road; Laurel Grove near Winding Way; Lagunitas Road at Ross Common; Poplar Avenue at Kent Avenue; Sir Francis Drake Boulevard near Ross Terrace; and Lagunitas Road at Glenwood Avenue.
The devices are motion-activated cameras that take still images of license plates. The system does not record personal identifying information.
The system is connected to the National Crime Information Center, a state database for wanted or stolen vehicles and the AMBER Alert database of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The acronym stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response.
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