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Home My WebLink About3A PresentationPotential Use of Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) Technology www.palmspringsca.govOctober 12, 2023 Item 3A - Page 1 ALPR – What Information is Captured? •A fixed ALPR system is designed to capture: ⚬the date, time, and location; ⚬license plate (state, partial, paper, and no plate); ⚬vehicle characteristics (make, model, type, and color) Item 3A - Page 2 ALPR – What this IS and is NOT What this IS What this in NOT •License plate recognition •Gathers objective evidence and facts about vehicles, not people •Alerts police of wanted vehicles •Used to solve crime •Adheres to all state laws •Not facial recognition •Not tied to Personal Identifiable Information •Not used for traffic enforcement •Data not stored beyond 30 days → automatically deletes every 30 days (Retention time can be adjusted + or -) Item 3A - Page 3 ALPR – Fixed ALPR vs. Red Light Cameras •A red light camera is designed to capture driver images for driver identification •A fixed ALPR system is designed to capture rear license plate images for vehicle identification Item 3A - Page 4 ALPR – Legal Considerations Palm Springs - ALPR Policy •Only allows trained authorized users •Official Use Only – Reasonable Suspicion •No out of state sharing* •Routine system audits •Prohibits invasion of privacy, harassment or intimidation, personal use State Law •Requires training •Requires limitations/controls on access •Requires limitations on sharing Item 3A - Page 5 ALPR – Policy Internal and External Access •Limited to need to know and right to know; •Criminal penalties for unauthorized access; •Training provided to employees; •Queries are logged and auditable; •Agency controls with whom data is shared; •No sharing by vendor; •No outside state sharing •Court order •Request to Chief of Police – Major Crime Data Integrity •CJIS-compliant transmission and storage by vendor. Amazon Web Services (AWS) using AES256 bit encryption, a standard encryption system used by both the Federal Government and the National Security Agency. Data Integrity •Automatically purged after 30 days* Item 3A - Page 6 ALPR – Protecting Privacy •Footage owned by Agency/City •30 day data retention, then deleted •Takes human bias out of crime-solving by detecting objective data, and detecting events that are objectively illegal (ex. Stolen vehicles) •All data is stored securely in the AWS Cloud, and end to end encryption of all data •Search reason is required for audit trail •NO facial recognition software •NO predictive policing •NO PII is contained in Flock •NOT used for traffic enforcement •Not connected to registration data or 3rd party databases (Carfax, DMV) •Transparency Portal (optional) Item 3A - Page 7 ALPR – Uses & Benefits USES •Proactive Real-time alerts •Reactive (Investigative)⚬Searchable database BENEFITS •Real Time Alerts •Deterrence •Solve Crimes Already Committed •Regional Coordination Item 3A - Page 8 ALPR – Local Implementation & Collaboration •ALPR technology is an existing tool for local law enforcement including neighboring communities •Numerous success stories and examples of where it could have been used in Palm Springs •A majority of agencies in the Coachella Valley currently use it •Many private businesses, HOAs, and individuals have ALPR and elect to share that data with law enforcement Item 3A - Page 9 ALPR – Case Study Suspects arrested after shooting 3 people, killing 1 of them Incident Details On October 31, 2022, PSPD responded to a shooting incident with multiple victims at the Raising Cane’s Restaurant in Palm Springs. Officers arrived and found four people had been shot, one of them killed. All of the victims were U.S. Marines who were involved in a brief confrontation with the suspects just prior to the shooting. PSPD obtained surveillance video from the location with vehicle information and entered that information into the Flock system. Within 24 hours, PSPD received an alert the suspect vehicle was near Indio. Officers were dispatched to the area and located the vehicle. Two suspects were identified and arrested for the murder and attempted murder of 4 people. October 31, 2022 Photo” The Desert Sun Item 3A - Page 10 ALPR – Case Study Man accused in two homicides in Palm Springs arrested after lead from Flock Incident Details On January 25, 2021, Jennifer Dillon, a 59-year-old female was found deceased inside her home. Forensic evidence identified her death as a homicide. On July 30th, 2021, Joseph Rajczi, an 80-year-old male was found deceased in his residence. His death was ruled a homicide. PSPD canvassed the neighborhoods and submitted forensic evidence for clues. Both homicides showed signs that one person may be involved in both murders. Months went by before PSPD received a break in the case. A vehicle description was provided without a license plate and PSPD enlisted the help of the Cathedral City Police Department to search for similar vehicle descriptions. A possible match was provided to PSPD investigators via a lead from a Flock camera PSPD to the 31- year-old male suspect who was arrested and charged with both murders. Photo: KESQ September 8, 2021 Item 3A - Page 11 ALPR – Case Study Hate Crime Targeting LA Synagogue - Suspect Located in Cathedral City Incident Details On February 16th, around 4:15 PM, LAPD shared vehicle license information of the suspect involved in two shootings at synagogues in Los Angeles. Local agencies, PSPD and Cathedral City PD obtained this information and ran the vehicle’s plate in Flock where it was discovered the suspect vehicle had entered Cathedral City. A short time later, officers located and arrested the suspect without incident after receiving a shots fired call in Cathedral City. This alert also allowed PSPD to immediately deploy staff to its local synagogues in the event the suspect continued on his rampage. Item 3A - Page 12 ALPR – Transparency Transparency + Insights Measure ROI and promote the ethical use of public safety technology Transparency Portal •Display technology policies •Publish usage metrics •Share downloadable Search audits Dashboard •Measure crime patterns and ROI •Audit Search history Example •Click here for Vallejo PD Item 3A - Page 13 WHY FLOCK? Privacy The police department places a high priority on safeguarding the privacy of our community members. Flock has stringent data protection protocols in place to ensure that surveillance footage remains secure and accessible only to authorized law enforcement personnel. We are committed to respecting the privacy of residents and maintaining the confidentiality of their personal information. We are also committed to keeping the data within the State of California and our policy prohibits the sharing of ALPR data with out-of-state agencies. Affordability and Scalability Affordability is paramount for the police department, as the affordability of Flock ALPR cameras enables large-scale deployments of flock safety solutions without causing financial strain. During our research Flock was found to be the most cost appropriate solution compared to ot her ALPR solutions. Regional Sharing The police department encourages regional collaboration and data sharing among neighborhoods to enhance community safety. Thr ough our Flock safety initiatives, law enforcement agencies (Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, La Quinta, and Indio), and neighborhoods can work together to share surveillance data, fostering a stronger sense of community and promoting cooperation among residents. This collaborative approach contributes to making our entire region a safer place for all residents. Accurate Data Retrieval Flock's system, equipped with state-of-the-art technology, enables accurate data retrieval. Whether it involves reviewing footage for security incidents, or criminal investigations, our system provides law enforcement with reliable and precise data retrieval capabilities. This accuracy enhances the effectiveness of our efforts to maintain community safety and aids in the swift and efficient resolution of incidents. Item 3A - Page 14 ALPR – Next Steps •Council feedback and discussion on potential implementation of ALPR Technology •Approve Contract with Insight Public Sector through a cooperative purchase program •Install 15 Flock ALPR cameras throughout the City of Palm Springs Item 3A - Page 15 Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) Questions Item 3A - Page 16