Agenda #: 7.2
Meeting Date: September 19, 2023
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Daniel Fox, City Manager
TITLE: MASTER SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH FLOCK GROUP, INC. FOR
AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READER SURVEILLANCE CAMERA
SERVICES THROUGH SEPTEMBER 19, 2025.
STRATEGIC
GOAL: Safe, Sustainable & Healthy Community
RECOMMENDATION:
A. Approve and authorize the City Manager to sign the Master Services Agreement Flock Group, Inc; and
B. Appropriate $185,000 from Law Enforcement Reserve Fund (Fund 102) to fund the Agreement for FY 23/24.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Sufficient funds do not currently exist in the FY 2023/24 budget. It is recommended that funds be appropriated from the Law Enforcement Reserve Fund (Fund 102). Upon appropriation, the total not-to-exceed amount of the Agreement for FY 2023/24 would be $185,000. Expenditures for FY 2024/25 are expected to be $165,000, for a two-year total not-to-exceed amount of $350,000.
BACKGROUND:
At the February 28, 2023 meeting, the City Council Public Safety Committee requested that staff prepare a presentation related to the use of Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) surveillance systems in Diamond Bar. The matter was subsequently presented to the committee at the March 28, 2023 meeting, at which time staff was directed to prepare the item for City Council discussion. At the April 18, 2023 Study Session, the City Council discussed the matter and directed staff to return with additional information for further discussion and direction. Finally, at the July 18, 2023 Study Session, the City Council directed staff to begin negotiations with ALPR services provider Flock Group, Inc. and bring a contract to an upcoming Regular Meeting for City Council consideration.
ANALYSIS:
ALPRs are camera-based surveillance devices that capture vehicle license plate data.
This data can be used by law enforcement in a number of ways, including to monitor where a vehicle has been, identify travel patterns over time, and determine links between different vehicles. The city currently funds two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) vehicles equipped with mobile ALPR technology and has access to fixed ALPR trailers that can be staged throughout town as needed.
The rise of cloud computing has reduced the cost to deploy centralized community-wide surveillance systems monitored by law enforcement agencies. New machine learning technology has expanded the scope of data collection. The latest-generation ALPR camera systems can supplement license plate data with automated collection of vehicle identifiers like make, model, color, and features like roof racks and bumper stickers and can also track pedestrians, animals, and other objects in view of the camera.
Flock Safety has emerged as the industry-leader in ALPR surveillance systems, with a growing number of local government agencies, including many cities in Southern California, deploying Flock systems. Flock systems rely on fixed-mounted cameras placed approximately 15 feet above traffic lanes on existing traffic signal and/or light poles. The cameras are powered with solar-charged batteries and use LTE cell networks to communicate with servers maintained by the provider.
Data collected is fed through a state crime database. Local patrol deputies can receive real-time push notifications via mobile application when a vehicle on the database is flagged by a local ALPR camera. Deputies and authorized users can also create a “hot list” of specific vehicles of interest that may not be in the database and receive real-time notifications for those vehicles as well. Data is maintained on cloud servers hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS). The proposed system does not currently collect video, use facial recognition, or intentionally capture images of a vehicle’s driver.
ALPR surveillance systems serve as a powerful investigatory tool for law enforcement agencies. Based on a study of Southern California cities with Flock systems, ALPR hits are generated almost exclusively on pass-through stolen vehicles originating from other areas and vehicles registered to drivers with outstanding warrants. Deputies in the field are able to respond very quickly, generating arrests that may not otherwise have been made. The cameras also supplement other law enforcement investigations when combined with evidence or witnesses collected at the scene of an incident.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed and approved the agreement as to form.
PREPARED BY:
REVIEWED BY:
Attachments:
1. 7.2.a Master Services Agreement - Flock Group, Inc.