St. Helena City Council wants public input before leasing license plate cameras | News | #citycouncil

The council agreed Tuesday to wait until its Sept. 27 meeting before voting on the police department’s proposed two-year lease of the cameras from Flock Safety for $26,800.

According to a staff report, police plan to place the cameras on Highway 29 at the northern city limits, Highway 29 at the southern city limits, eastbound Pope Street at the Silverado Trail, and eastbound Pratt Avenue at Silverado.

The staff report says the devices could have aided with incidents such as the May hit-and-run at Main and Spring and the robbery of the Elyse Walker boutique in July, in which the suspects used a stolen car.

ALPRs take still photos of the backs of vehicles and license plates. They do not record video or use facial recognition technology. Data is purged after 30 days and may not be shared with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

A “transparency portal” would allow the public to see when and why police access the system, and the police department would conduct random audits to make sure officers and dispatchers are using the system properly.

The Calistoga Police Department — which, like St. Helena, has only two officers on patrol at any given time — recently obtained six ALPRs from Flock Safety. Police in both cities have said the cameras will help them investigate crime reports that would otherwise contain only vague descriptions of vehicles.

“This is a pretty powerful tool if used correctly,” Lt. Justin Tharp told the council.

However, ALPRs have also generated privacy concerns. A representative of Oakland Privacy wrote a letter urging the council to consider the matter at a special meeting, purge camera data every seven days, and periodically review the police department’s use of the data.

• The council added to the city’s Municipal Code an ethics policy prohibiting conflicts of interest in the procurement of supplies, equipment and services for public works project. The city already has similar policies in its employee handbook and its individual contracts, but the state Office of Emergency Services, which awarded the city a grant in connection with the Glass Fire, asked the city to add the policy to its Municipal Code.

• The council authorized the flying of the Italian flag on the city’s ceremonial flagpole during Italian Heritage Month in October. The council also authorized parking closures and fee waivers in connection with the Oct. 1 Festa Italiana event at Lyman Park.