City Council Approves License Plate Reader System Purchase

A $678,613 contract with 3M for purchase and installation of a license plate reader system at many of the entrances and exits to Piedmont was approved by the Piedmont City Council Monday night.

The contract calls for installation of 39 cameras at 15 locations in Piedmont, with an emphasis on entrance and egress points and relatively high-crime areas of the city, Police Chief Rikki Goede said.

She said the price is slightly higher than the $673,274 quoted earlier because it was discovered that 3M had included only 8 percent sales tax, not the 9 percent required in Alameda County. The $5,339 increase covers the additional sales tax, she said.

Goede said new technology such as the camera system is just one prong of a three-pronged approach to reducing crime in Piedmont. 

The other aspects are a well staffed police department and community involvement, she said.

She noted that the Piedmont Police Department has hired four new officers, although they won't all be fully trained for about one year. 

About 30 new Neighborhood Watch groups have been formed recently, and local residents are reporting more suspicious circumstances to the PPD as a result, Goede said.

The license plate reader system has been under discussion by city officials for several months. You may read more about it in "City Eyes Smaller License Plate Camera System".