License Plate Readers talking points
Need talking points in support of License Plate Readers? You’re in the right place!
You’ll only have 1— maybe 2 —minutes to talk, so pick some sections below & put them into your own voice.
👉🏾 Looking for the meeting info? You can find that here. And if you’d like to join our meeting livechat to hang out with your fellow SafeBears while the meeting is happening, email us at: contact(at)safebears.org and we’ll be glad to add you to our Slack!
Thank you for making Berkeley safer for our students! 💛
License plate scanners are a crucial tool in our ongoing battle against crime. With violent crime and auto theft on the rise, it is imperative that we leverage the power of technology to stay one step ahead.
Automated license plate readers will provide us with real-time alerts when stolen cars or vehicles connected with serious crimes enter our city. By swiftly detecting these vehicles, Berkeley PD can respond quickly, increasing our chances of catching the criminals and stopping more violent crimes from happening.
The placement of these readers at major entry points into the city is vital because we know a lot of the bad guys committing these crimes are coming in from other communities. This targeted approach will monitor the flow of vehicles into our city, increasing our ability to prevent and solve crimes.
Now, let's address the concerns raised regarding privacy implications. The license plate readers do not capture individuals or recognize faces, so individual privacy is safeguarded. We must strike a balance between ensuring public safety and safeguarding individual privacy, and the system we’re talking about is designed with these principles in mind.
Not only do neighboring cities already employ license plate readers with remarkable success, they’ve had great results! Vacaville experienced a remarkable 33% decrease in auto theft and a 35% increase in arrests related to auto thefts after deploying these readers. We need to follow suit.
Over the past 180 days, 703 vehicles were stolen in Berkeley: a 43% increase compared to the previous period. We cannot stand idly by while our community suffers from this surge in crime. License plate scanners will reduce crime and make our streets safer.
And it’s not just auto theft. LPR’s can also help us find missing people during amber, silver, and blue alerts, ensuring a rapid response and better chances of rescuing those taken.
It is essential to address the financial aspect. The initial cost of $250,000 or less, along with an annual subscription fee of $175,000 or less. This is an incredibly affordable investment in public safety, especially when you consider the kind of questionable projects various committees in this city spend money on. If the P.A.B. can afford to buy its own therapy animal, surely we can afford license plate scanners to keep our city safe.
Additionally, data retention for only 30 days strikes a balance between maintaining records for investigations and respecting privacy concerns.
The license plate scanners proposed by the Berkeley Police Department are a crucial step forward in our fight against crime. By leveraging this technology, we can increase the likelihood of apprehending suspects and preventing crimes before they occur. Let’s learn from the successes of neighboring cities and take action to protect our community. Together, we can ensure a safer Berkeley for all its residents.