MEETING DATE:
MAY 14, 2024
SUBJECT:
Title
SAFE SAN MARCOS PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION AND ASSOCIATED DIRECTION AND AUTHORIZATION CONCERNING FUNDING AND USE OF LICENSE PLATE READERS
Body
Recommendation
Recommendation
APPROVE the City's participation in the Safe San Marcos Program of the Sheriff's Department and the use of automated License Plate Readers, AUTHORIZE the City Manager to execute the related Memorandum of Understanding with the Sheriff's Department, and AUTHORIZE the City Manager to appropriate funds, if and when available, to purchase cameras/technology for installation and use by the Sheriff's Department to supplement the program.
Body
Board or Commission Action
Not Applicable
Relevant Council Strategic Theme
Quality of Life
Executive Summary
Although the City of San Marcos is one of the safest cities in San Diego County, and in California, the City and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department continue their ongoing cooperative efforts to identify and implement tools available to law enforcement to further augment the safety of the community. The programs being proposed by the Sheriff's Department are called Safe San Marcos and the use of automated license plate reader (LPR) cameras.
The proposed Safe San Marcos Program addressed in the proposed MOU allows businesses and residents, on a strictly voluntary basis, to share access with the Sheriff's Department to both live video and recorded video from the privately owned camera systems. This shared access provides additional resources to the Sheriff's Department to better police the city and assists with tracking crime in real time. It can also help facilitate timely investigations and be a valuable tool for criminal investigations. In addition to Safe San Marcos, staff recommends that the Council authorize LPR cameras to be strategically placed by the Sheriff's Department throughout the City, both to deter crime as well as observe crime when it happens.
The cities of Lemon Grove, Sant...
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