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Smile, your license plate maybe on camera

A comment on the Year in Crime: 2021 post reminded me to double back to the question of whether or not we put in license plate reading cameras in B'game.  According to the DJ article, in a rare split decision, councilors Ortiz, O'Brian and Colson went for the idea while Brownrigg and Beach were opposed.

Burlingame is one of just four cities in the county that has yet to approve the cameras (Ed: that means 16 already have them), according to Police Chief Mike Matteucci, who added he believed they would be beneficial in the city. Others on the Peninsula have turned to the cameras in hopes of stopping auto burglaries near hotels or retail crime. 

Matteucci said implementation in Burlingame would likely consist of two-dozen or more cameras installed at entry and exit points to the city and major intersections. They could also be affixed to police vehicles. 

You will recall from the Year in Crime: 2021 post that vehicle burglaries were up 25% year over year to 25 per month–basically everyday someone gets burgled.  And that number may or may not include the catalytic converter thefts–I've asked BPD for some numbers on that really expensive crime (~$2,800 to replace, keep your insurance current).  At least one reluctant councilmember wants to "see the data".  I would suggest that all council members should be reviewing the data regularly.  Heck, I would make it a regular council agenda item, but that's just me.

Brownrigg, however, said he was unconvinced Burlingame had a need for the cameras and expressed reluctance to increase surveillance or traffic stop frequency in the city.

“Any time we permit greater surveillance, especially using technology, we need to have a use case that justifies it, so I would like to see that data,” he said. “I’m not saying our decision will change the big forces of technology, but this is just one step along the path to facial recognition, it’s one step along the path to cameras everywhere.”
 
I'm not going to give much airtime to the concern about racial profiling–everyone license plate colors are the same.  We shall see if this goes anywhere or if higher political ambitions derail it.
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23 responses to “Smile, your license plate maybe on camera”

  1. Cassandra

    When my dad was being considered for flag rank we figured everyone in the family was being closely watched.
    He said, “Nothing to worry about. We’re the good guys.”
    Surveillance and even facial recognition doesn’t bother me in the least. Listen for those seeking higher office in Wokedom to say something about “1984” when they’re the ones instituting lockdowns and various mandates.

  2. Pythagoras

    Brownrigg and Beach are most likely snuggled up watching their save the world climate change shows rather than digesting the real time crime data.
    Another pure example on how disconnected these elitist are from reality. Maybe If we all just ride bikes around town the crime rates will drop.
    Like Grandma said: They are a bunch of phony baloney’s.

  3. Paloma Ave

    At least Ortiz voted correctly on this one. Too bad he didn’t vote correctly on the natural gas ban.

  4. Cassandra

    On the DJ:“New surveillance cameras on hold for Burlingame”
    Hurry up Bad Guys. City’s Process Queens make Burlingame the last city to pull up the drawbridge.

  5. Spurinna

    Two council members (Brownrigg/Beach) mention concerns about racism in the use of the cameras. This is simply “word salad” as they seek higher office.
    Cameras can’t be racist. If the car/license plate is stolen or has outstanding warrants then there is a problem to be investigated.

  6. Joe

    I’m reminded of a saying I hear often from a former city councilwoman. “Some people get into politics to do something, others get into politics to be somebody”.

  7. Mom

    I just saw this letter on the Daily Journal website and I agree
    Your newspaper recently reported that the Burlingame City Council is not ready to approve the use of automated license plate reading cameras (“New surveillance cameras on hold for Burlingame” in the March 1 edition of the Daily Journal). Some councilmembers are concerned about the privacy rights of individuals and, again, want to delay this important technology tool. The council also opted out of this in 2015.
    In the meantime, crime has skyrocketed in our city. Every day we hear and read of porch pirates stealing packages, car and house break-ins. Stores have had mobs stealing large quantities of merchandise and catalytic converters are sawed off daily in addition to outright vehicle theft. Crime is very common.
    LPR cameras, stationary or mobile or just like any modern smartphone camera. They take photographs of license plates and stamp the picture with the date, time and location coordinates of where they were taken.
    Other nearby cities have rolled out this technology but some members of our City Council still want to study it more and issue more surveys. Councilmember Ann O’Brien Keighran has an excellent suggestion to start out with a limited number of cameras and see if the program proves successful. I would also add that sometimes the sight of a camera would be enough to deter some criminals from executing their plans.
    Let’s give the Burlingame police department a great tool for deterring criminals.
    Communities deserve to have their law enforcement agencies equipped with the best technologies to prevent and solve crime.
    Constance Quirk
    Burlingame

  8. Cassandra

    2 more break-ins in the Burlingame Hills. One in Hillsborough.
    Burglars escaped in Burlingame. Hillsborough bad guys were caught.

  9. Marissa

    Broadway Walgreens Robbed 10:30am today by two people. They were a 40ish Black man and woman team. Ran down chula vista each carrying what looked like 40-pound black garbage bags draped over their shoulders.
    About ten of us were in shock. You see it on TV but you never experience it live.

  10. Joe

    I happened to speak to an insurance person recently. She noted that the cities without LPRs have car thieves steal a first car from there, then drive to a city with readers in the first stolen car and steal (an often better) car; leaving the first car behind.

  11. Barking Dog

    https://youtu.be/Shd9mGn1c68

  12. Joe

    One good thing about having smaller lots on neighborly residential streets vs. half-acre lots shielded from view:
    Sophisticated burglary crews from South America could be the reason why a typical increase of residential burglaries in Hillsborough over the past holiday seasons is extending into March, according to police.
    Hillsborough police say criminal tourism is becoming prevalent in the United States and the groups target wealthy communities here, and in Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, Europe, India and Australia. Groups can range in size from a few to dozens of members. Groups often enter the United States legally. Once they arrive, groups will acquire vehicles by either renting or buying a slightly used luxury vehicle to easily blend into their target communities. Groups will then travel across the nation to different affluent communities to commit burglaries.
    https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/hillsborough-police-warn-of-increase-of-residential-burglaries-rings/article_24aea982-a40a-11ec-b6c9-63ab661cc486

  13. MBGA

    My wife saw the Walgreens on the ave getting robbed back in 2020 by a couple who were being discrete and only using large purses. Now they are walking out with big stuffed black plastic bags and apparently aren’t worried about getting their faces on camera or anything else. They are just practicing social justice.
    This could end over night if we had a different leadership. Selecting any Democrat or pleasant RINO for any position in government is the problem. Do not vote for any Democrat or RINO promising to fix crime by adding more police or fixing the schools. That will NEVER work.
    The solution to the crime problem is to make the punishment not worth commiting these crimes even in the unlikely chance they are caught.
    We will know the problem has been solved when your sports apparel is made by highly experienced American, not the Peoples Republic of China, prisoners.
    I say No to cameras (and the expensive maintanence contracts) and Yes to inexpensive Nikes – “Made in USA”.

  14. Paloma Ave

    As long as we live in a society of hand-wringing liberals, regardless of color, our society will continue to collapse.
    And no one will run who does not identify as a liberal and progressive. (Exactly what does a progressive believe?)
    Until law and order returns, were are unfortunately doomed.

  15. Joe

    The plate readers have won approval in B’game. Here’s some snippets from the DJ:
    After several months of deliberation and disagreement, the Burlingame City Council agreed to move ahead with installing roughly 25 surveillance cameras designed to capture license plate numbers and vehicle descriptions at 14 city intersections.
    Ortiz, along with councilmembers Donna Colson and Ann O’Brien Keighran have been ready to move forward with implementation while Councilmember Emily Beach and Vice Mayor Michael Brownrigg have raised civil liberties concerns.
    Beach and Brownrigg during the council’s meeting Monday urged their colleagues to, along with a use-policy for the cameras, commit to drafting a more in-depth surveillance ordinance later this year to govern the cameras and other similar technology. But Ortiz and Colson said while they were open to the idea, they were not ready to pledge to move forward with such work, which would require an impact study and consume staff time.
    Beach, meanwhile, said she felt “very strongly” that the in-depth ordinance should be part of implementing the cameras.
    “An important part of this conversation is to commit to really putting some policy in place that makes sure we are vetting stuff thoroughly in the future,” she said. “It’s really just providing a more robust, data-driven study of the social impact, on the civil liberties impact.”
    https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/license-plate-cameras-ok-d-in-burlingame/article_1bb7bca0-b6ee-11ec-9496-3f7975a8a090?utm_source=smdailyjournal.com&utm_campaign=%2Fnewsletters%2Fheadlines%2F%3F-dc%3D1649426422&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline
    ————–
    That last bit strikes me as a “word salad”. It would be really helpful to understand exactly which civil liberties are of concern. Vague notions of “in-depth policies” don’t resonate with me. As I noted in the original post, 16 cities in the County already have these readers. Is there any hint of any sort of issue with those? It would be news to me.

  16. HMB

    The only study I’m interested in is how much are these costing and how effective are they — that is, are we getting bang for our bucks? Given that the crooks are getting smart about changing plates, I’d like to know how much these cameras are actually aiding law enforcement in solving crimes.

  17. Peter Garrison

    1. You’ll note that with these cameras the incidents of rampaging penguins in the downtown will definitely be kept to a minimum.
    In other words we’ll never now how many bad guys decided to go somewhere else because of the cameras. You can’t prove a negative…
    2. On the upside- If the other cities have cameras then we don’t want to be the easy mark.
    Thank you City Council

  18. Joe

    The cost is a good question. I’ll see what I can find out.

  19. Barking Dog

    Did these 3 upstanding individuals(all out of county/1 out of state) have their ‘civil liberties’ impacted by the LPR in Foster City Mr. Brownrigg, Mrs. She/Her Beach?? If so, please show Burlingame residents how….
    Nice work Foster City


  20. resident

    https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/cameras-are-helping-foster-city-with-crime-police/article_5b560218-3272-11ed-ac20-d79960f25239?utm_source=smdailyjournal.com&utm_campaign=%2Fnewsletters%2Fheadlines%2F%3F-dc%3D1662991215&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline

  21. Joe

    Here’s a bit of an update although there must be hundreds of sample/existing policies to copy:
    The deployment of 13 automated license plate readers two months ago to assist police in solving crimes is nudging Burlingame city officials to write a policy on how such surveillance technology is used and reported.
    The backbone of the policy and concern for Councilmember Emily Beach is how does the city mitigate civil liberties and reduce potential harm by invading the community’s privacy, she said. The City Council unanimously agreed during an April 17 meeting to direct the city staff to return with a written policy guiding how to use and report on surveillance technologies.
    “I had a front row seat to the city’s response to policing policies in 2020 when I was mayor and I think this is an opportunity to lean in and be really careful to our technology and data collection and to how we use it and this is just another opportunity for us to continue with that commitment to the community,” Beach said.
    The first half of the guideline the council is seeking would lay the foundation for how the city would use surveillance technology responsibly. The guidelines would lay out the foundation for how data would be collected, accessed, protected, shared and retained. It would require user training, auditing and oversight compliance. All would be reported to the City Council annually, according to the staff report.
    https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/burlingame-seeks-new-surveillance-oversight/article_ba25e812-df2e-11ed-a102-77744419a3b0?utm_source=smdailyjournal.com&utm_campaign=%2Fnewsletters%2Fheadlines%2F%3F-dc%3D1681999208&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline
    ————————
    And in related news, Emily Beach announced her campaign for Dave Pine’s Supervisor seat today……..

  22. Paloma Ave

    License plate reader helps nab attempted homicide suspect in Millbrae.
    Shouldn’t every city in San Mateo County have license plate readers?
    The answer is yes!

  23. Barking Dog

    https://www.almanacnews.com/2024/01/29/police-say-license-plate-readers-helped-nab-woodside-home-burglary-suspects-linked-to-other-break-ins/

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