Report: License Plate Cameras Could Exceed $1 Million

The cost of installing license plate cameras on all roads into and out of Piedmont could exceed $1 million, according to a report from Police Chief Rikki Goede released Thursday.

The report was prepared for Monday's City Council meeting on March 18. The agenda includes a possible decision on adopting the project in some form.

In the wake of rising burglaries and two home-invasion robberies in one day, the council on Feb. 4 asked the police department to obtain a quote for placing license plate readers at all entrances and exits of the city. The devices are high-resolution cameras mounted on poles that take digital images that can be matched wirelessly to a database.

Accordingly, the department asked a license plate reader firm, formerly known as PIPS Technology and now 3M, for an assessment of what would be required.

The staff report, based on 3M's analysis, says "24 ingress/egress points were determined to exist between the cities of Piedmont and Oakland." It recommends installation of 57 cameras.

The estimated cost to the city of the equipment alone, not counting installation costs, would be $978,716, Goede's report says. 

"Additionally, an optional, but recommended, three-year extended maintenance warranty of $174,700 would need to be considered, increasing the total to $1,153,416," according to the report.

The wireless service for the devices also would entail monthly fees from the city's wireless provider, currently Verizon, the report notes.

The installation costs, not included in the estimate, would be additional. "Installation of the above hardware would need to be done by a licensed electrical contractor after obtaining requisite authorization from PG&E and all necessary permits," the report says.

The report also identifies two other cost considerations.

One is the extra investigative time required for following up leads generated by the cameras, the report says. The department currently is budgeted for two investigative positions, including one that is fully committed as the Juvenile/School Resource Officer. "Therefore, a third investigative position would need to be added to ensure necessary investigative and school safety efforts are met effectively," the report says.

The report says also that the city needs to be prepared for the "real possibility" that "Piedmont will need to move from our current shared public safety communication system with the City of Oakland and join the East Bay Regional Interoperability Communication System (EBRICS)," a move that would require buying expensive vehicle and portable radios for police and public works (at about $3,500-4,500 per radio). "This and other impending capital costs must be factored into the decision making process with regard to the License Plate Recognition project," the report says.

Goede's report offers three approaches of varying costs, along with pros and cons of each, for adding license plate cameras:

1. Full implementation at all entrances and exits to the city
2. Phased implementation over two to three years
3. Install cameras at 10-12 major roads entering and leaving the city, while providing more mobile cameras for patrol cars. (Piedmont police now have one mobile license plate reader for use in a police car.)

The council meets at 7:30 p.m. in the council chambers.