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HomeMy WebLinkAbout7.1 - 1691 Automated License Plate Recognition System Page 1 of 4 STAFF REPORT CITY COUNCIL DATE: November 21, 2017 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers FROM: Christopher L. Foss, City Manager SUBJECT: Automated License Plate Recognition System Update and Video Technology Overview Prepared by: Victor Fox, Lieutenant Dublin Police Services EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The City Council will receive a report on the status of Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) systems which were purchased by Dublin Police Services (DPS) in 2016. The City Council will also receive an overview of additional video surveillance technologies to further assist Dublin Police Services with investigations and situational awareness. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Receive the report on the status of the current ALPR system. FINANCIAL IMPACT: No financial impact at this time. Funding is available in the General Fund Reserve for Innovations and New Opportunities to purchase additional video surveillance technologies once Staff identifies a product which will best meet the needs of the City. DESCRIPTION: On June 21, 2016, the City Council passed resolution 118 -16, which authorized Dublin Police Services to procure and install six vehicle-mounted Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) systems, two radar trailer-mounted ALPR systems, and six fixed pole-mounted ALPR systems from Vigilant Solutions. This project has since been completed with a total cost of $309,376. The ALPR technology uses optical character recognition on images to read vehicle registration plates. Once the license plate image is captured it is stored and categorized by timestamp and location of the obtained image. The ALPR system has the ability to automatically run license plates through law enforcement databases to determine if the vehicle is stolen, whether there is a subject associated to the vehicle who has an arrest warrant, is on probation, or reported as missing. The ALPR software runs concurrent with a program called Target Alert Service (TAS), which notifies the Page 2 of 4 officer(s) who can take appropriate action if the vehicle is located. The first phase of this project was the installation of ALPR systems in six Dublin Police Services patrol vehicles and two mobile radar trailers. Each patrol vehicle is equipped with two forward facing and one rear facing ALPR camera. This gives the system the ability to read vehicle license plates in multiple lanes of traffic, as well as vehicles which are parked or are driving in the opposite direction as the patrol unit. The six patrol units are assigned to specific staff members who are assigned to both day and night shift seven days a week. The radar trailer-mounted ALPR systems are each equipped with two ALPR cameras which enable the system to monitor multiple lanes of traffic. The Dublin Police S ervices Traffic Unit is responsible for moving the trailers to predetermined areas of the City to conduct speed surveys for traffic enforcement. The trailers can also be moved to major ingress and egress routes within the City for investigative purposes. The final phase of this project was the installation of six fixed pole -mounted ALPR systems within the City. The six locations for these systems are located in areas with high traffic volume, including major intersections and at an ingress point for a commercial shopping area. These are single camera locations which can only monitor one lane of traffic. As of October 2017, the vehicle and trailer-mounted ALPR systems have detected and scanned approximately 1.8 million license plates. Of these detections, approximately 140 of the vehicles were identified by law enforcement databases as being stolen. Since the installation of the fixed ALPR camera systems, approximately 4.3 million license plates have been detected, including 207 vehicles repor ted stolen in the DOJ database. DPS patrol and investigations units have made twelve (12) arrests for stolen vehicle possession as a direct result of the ALPR alerts system. DPS has also recovered six (6) unoccupied stolen vehicles which were generally located in parking stalls of commercial shopping areas or residential parking lots. The ALPR system has also been instrumental in helping solve several felony criminal cases related to grand theft and robbery. The ALPR systems have been a successful investigative tool to identify criminal suspects and their associated vehicle(s). Investigators and patrol officers not only have the ability to research a vehicle based on the data collected by DPS, but from other agencies who utilize Vigilant Solutions as well. DPS also has access to the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center (NCRIC), which maintains a database of license plate images which have been collected by ALPR systems throughout Northern California. This sort of information sharing, allows patrol officers and investigators to research suspect license plates for vehicle descriptions, as well as the geographical areas in Northern California that it has been located. All images are time -stamped and pinpointed on Google Maps for reference . For auditing and security purposes, all user activity in the ALPR system is tracked and requires a case number or justification to view stored data. Page 3 of 4 Although the current ALPR cameras have been successful in numerous criminal cases, DPS has found the system has certain limitations. Research indicates that the most advantageous locations to place fixed pole-mounted ALPR systems are on major intersections as well as ingress/egress locations throughout the City. Through research and experience with the current system, each ALPR camera only has the capacity to consistently capture license plates from a single lane of traffic. Therefore, should the City wish to monitor a major intersection, such as Dublin Boulevard and Dougherty Road, a total of 28 ALPR cameras would need to be installed to capture all lanes, including turn lanes at that intersection. Each camera would have an approximate purchase/installation cost of $25,000 in addition to an ongoing annual maintenance cost. In addition to coverage limitations, DPS has seen an increase in crimes being committed in vehicles with either dealership paper plates or no plates at all. The ALPR systems do not recognize dealership paper plates, and although they will recognize rental vehicles, often times these vehicles are rented under fraudulent means and the renter cannot be identified. Although California law requires license plates to be displayed on the front of the vehicle, not all vehicle owners adhere to the law. DPS staff believes that another technological resource which should be explored is the utilization of high-resolution, Situation Awareness cameras (Sitcams). Staff has seen cameras operating at a level of 1080p (“p” for progressive scanning) or greater, which have the capability of capturing license plates on moving vehicles in both day and nighttime conditions. Staff has also seen cameras that can zoom or enhance the recording area to record license plate numbers and faces of the vehicle occupants. The use of these cameras at major intersections and other key ingress/egress locations could lessen the amount of ALPR’s needed in these areas as they are able to record a much larger area with more information and less fiscal impact. The Sitcams capture real-time footage to allow an intersection to be reviewed for vehicles traveling in all lanes of traffic, not just those with an ALPR system. DPS staff is working with potential vendors to identify and evaluate potential options for the procurement of Sitcams as a tool to further crime p revention efforts and supplement our existing ALPR system. The costs of Sitcams is dependent upon many variables to include area topography, data storage, technological infrastructure, installation costs, and recurring annual fees for licensing and storage. DPS staff has currently identified sixteen (16) intersections in the City as potential locations for Sitcams. These include a majority of all ingress/egress routes as well as residential areas located off main thoroughfares. Staff also believes addi ng six (6) additional ALPR’s in key locations which are not currently covered will complement the current system. Funding for these purchases has been identified in the General Fund Reserve for Innovations and New Opportunities. Staff will continued to work with vendors to identify video technology which best meets the needs of the City. Once identified, Staff will return to the City Council with a full report of system abilities as well as costs and a procurement recommendation. Page 4 of 4 NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH: None. ATTACHMENTS: None.