REGION — San Marcos has joined other North County cities in approving the implementation of license plate reader cameras to deter and solve local crimes. The city also plans to offer residents and businesses a Safe Cities program to register their own security cameras with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.
The San Marcos City Council unanimously agreed on Tuesday to execute a memorandum of understanding with the Sheriff’s Department to place 10 Flock Falcon license plate readers (LPRs) at various ingress and egress points throughout the city.
The solar-powered cameras can cover two lanes of traffic at distances of up to 65 feet and capture images of vehicles traveling up to 70 miles per hour in all weather conditions. They record the license plate number, time, date and location of each capture.
City Manager Michelle Bender said implementing these cameras will take some time as the city identifies funding and waits for it to arrive. According to a staff report, the purchase, implementation and maintenance of the cameras are anticipated to cost around $40,000 annually.
“The license plate readers, we do need to determine if we can get some grant funding… and there’s a lag time on ordering those cameras,” Bender said.
License plate readers have been used for years by the police departments in multiple cities, including Carlsbad, Oceanside and Escondido, and by the Sheriff’s Department in their contract cities of Del Mar, Solana Beach, and Encinitas.
On Wednesday, the Encinitas City Council agreed to more than triple the number of license readers in the city with 17 new cameras in addition to the seven cameras installed in 2022.
Captain Christopher Lawrence of the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Division said the LPRs have helped solve over 200 cases, including carjackings, assaults and abductions in Encinitas. He also explained how the cameras have led to the arrest of criminals from outside the area.
“In the first six months we had these cameras in Encinitas, our investigators were able to achieve a 5% increase in their case closure rate,” he said. “That’s hundreds of cases that they’re able to bring to resolution that they wouldn’t be able to do without those cameras.”
In San Marcos, several residents, including members of the San Elijo Hills Community Association board, spoke in favor of the LPRs.
“So many of the other neighboring communities in North County are already using this technology,” said association president Lindsay Smith. “I would hate to see San Marcos be the lagger in this situation, because it makes us the target.”
“I know it’s not foolproof, it’s not going to get rid of everything, but it would be an amazing peace of mind for members of our community,” said San Elijo resident and community association board member Melissa Bustarde.
Lawrence said the Flock camera stores data for 30 days before deleting it. Data can only be held longer if it is related to a current criminal investigation.
Other departments in neighboring cities would not have access to San Marcos camera footage, although the Sheriff’s Station could share information acquired through the cameras, such as a vehicle’s plate number in an Amber Alert, with other agencies.
Data also cannot be shared with the federal government or agencies outside of California.
Safe Cities program
Along with LPRs, the San Marcos council also approved an initiative called the Safe San Marcos Program, allowing local residents and businesses to share the data from their own security cameras, such as Ring cameras, with the Sheriff’s Department.
According to Lawrence, this can be done in two ways. First, residents or businesses can register their own security cameras with the department so that law enforcement can request footage if there is a crime in the area.
“It essentially places the location of their camera on a Google overlay map, so our investigators are able to go in after the fact of a crime, open up the software, see where cameras are in proximity to where the actual crime occurred, and reach out to the individuals who own and operate those cameras,” Lawrence said.
The second option is for residents, businesses and other entities, such as schools, to grant the department access to a live stream of their security camera footage. This would allow greater efficiency and situational awareness in law enforcement responses.
In both options, the department would only accept cameras facing public streets or parking lots, according to Lawrence. Participation in the program is entirely voluntary, and in other cities with the program, such as Poway and Santee, hundreds of residents have signed up.
Council members said this would be a great option to give to residents.
“I really like the program. As I’ve said, safety has always been the highest priority, and giving you all the tools to do your job,” said Mayor Rebecca Jones. “I think it does take a village. It takes a village; we all have our part in it, and sharing the cameras, I think, is a big deal. It definitely does work.”
A third element of the Safe San Marcos Program is the placement of overt cameras in public areas to further deter crime. Cities can record and temporarily store footage or have a live stream.
The council supported the concept and opted to allow recording.
Residents or businesses interested in participating in the Safe San Marcos Program can contact the Sheriff’s Licensing Department at (858) 974-2020. The San Marcos Sheriff’s Station will also be conducting outreach to residents about the program and the option to register their cameras.
Claire Strong contributed to this report.
