South Bay Authorities Pleased With How License Plate Readers Are Helping Fight Crime

LOS ALTOS (KPIX) -- The South Bay community of Los Altos Hills is touting the success of a new crime fighting tool after recently installed automatic license plate readers led to several arrests.

With 40 automatic license plate readers or ALPRs strategically placed throughout the town, virtually every car that enters the town will have to pass by one of the readers.

"We're not using these cameras to see who's driving or what's going on. It's just the license plate itself. And if there's any wanted hit from that vehicle, specifically," said Santa Clara County Sheriff's Deputy Russell Davis.

Those cameras have aided in several law enforcement investigations since they were installed, helping the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office make four arrests, according to Davis.

"In February of this year, we had a carjacking and robbery that occurred where six subjects in two vehicles robbed and carjacked an elderly couple at gunpoint in our contracted city of Cupertino, which is right next door to Los Altos Hills," Davis said. "The suspects took the victim's vehicle and stole it from them. We immediately put it in our stolen vehicle system and the ALPR cameras in Los Altos Hills picked up this vehicle that was parked temporarily in Los Altos Hills."

Authorities got another assist in an incident that happened a few days ago.

"We just had an incident this weekend where there was an ALPR hit where there was a vehicle that was wanted out of the Hayward Police Department. They were wanted for some type of sideshow activity and some type of criminal activity as well," explained Davis.

The town rolled out a pilot program earlier this year to see how they'd work. Town leadership just recently made the call to keep the ALPR program running for the next year.

"So far, they've strongly met – and in my mind, exceeded -- our expectations," said Los Altos Hills Mayor George Tyson. "We want to give it a good shot. It seems to be effective, we like how its working, and it gives us another year to adjust it, too, as we learn how to make it even better."

It will cost the town around $100,000 to keep the program running.

"We've had an uptick in burglaries. There are more signs of organized crime, even from other countries targeting areas. So rather than be a target, let's take some of this into our own hands," he said. "Why not try this now?"

Tyson reiterated, the technology is not used to track people and driving behavior, but rather license plate and vehicle information. However, the town's program does allow for those who are residents of Los Altos Hills to "opt out" from having their vehicle data recorded.

"There's been about a few dozen. Of course, they're concerned about their privacy, and we respect that," Tyson said.

77 households in total have opted out so far, according to a town management analyst.