DATE: March 19, 2024
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Chief of Police
SUBJECT: Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Two-Year Agreement with Flock Safety for the Purchase of Thirty-Five (35) Additional Flock Safety Automated License Plate Reader Cameras in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $300,000, and Not-to-Exceed $500,000 for All Agreements with Flock Safety
RECOMMENDATION
That Council adopts a resolution (Attachment II) authorizing the City Manager to execute a two-year agreement with Flock Safety for the purchase of thirty-five (35) additional Flock Safety automated license plate reader cameras in an amount not-to exceed $300,000, and not-to-exceed $500,000 for all agreements with Flock Safety.
SUMMARY
In a continuing effort to increase crime solvability rates and combat in-progress crimes, the Hayward Police Department is recommending the expansion of the current Flock Safety automated license plate reader (ALPR) camera program from twenty-nine (29) cameras to sixty-four (64) cameras. The current ALPR program has been instrumental in apprehending individuals committing in-progress crimes and aiding in solving long-term investigations for crimes including organized retail thefts, armed robberies, homicides, major assaults, human trafficking, and more. The expansion of this program would be focused on strengthening the coverage of major ingress and egress points throughout the city, as well as bolstering coverage around major retail establishments.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
In April 2022, the City of Hayward entered into a two-year agreement with Flock Safety for the purchase of 20 ALPR cameras. These stationary cameras capture the alphanumeric information from vehicles as they pass by, which is securely stored and is searchable for investigative purposes. In addition, the cameras send out real-time alerts for license plates that have an associated want for the vehicle. These alerts include vehicles associated with a missing person, AMBER alerts, stolen vehicles, and vehicles used in felony crimes. The cameras proved to be so successful in aiding both in progress crimes as well as long term investigations, that an additional nine ALPR cameras were purchased in October of 2022, bringing the City’s total ALPR program to twenty-nine (29) cameras.
Since the inception of HPD’s Flock Safety ALPR camera program, it has proven to be an invaluable tool in not only apprehending individuals committing in progress crimes but has also aided in solving more long-term investigations including organized retail thefts, armed robberies, homicides, major assaults, human trafficking, and more.
From February of 2023 to February 2024, the City’s current twenty-nine Flock Safety ALPR cameras were directly involved in assisting in:
64 arrests of individuals for vehicle theft.
71 stolen vehicles being recovered and returned to their owners 31 arrests for various other felony offenses
One specific example of the effectiveness of this program can be found in a homicide investigation that was solved, in part, due to information obtained from a HPD Flock Safety ALPR camera. This homicide occurred on May 11, 2023, and involved the shooting death of a pregnant female and the near-fatal shooting of the father of her unborn child. During the initial response to this shooting, HPD officers were able to identify a vehicle associated with the responsible subject and, within minutes, they learned the vehicle was captured by a HPD Flock Safety ALPR camera as it traveled westbound over the San Mateo bridge. This critical piece of information led directly to the discovery of the responsible subject’s address, the recovery of critical evidence (including the vehicle), and ultimately the safe apprehension of the responsible subject within days of this shooting incident.
The proposed Flock Safety ALPR camera expansion will focus on strengthening the coverage of major ingress and egress points throughout the city, as well as bolster coverage around major retail establishments. This should significantly aid in increasing crime solvability rates, and also aid officers in combating in-progress crimes. Additionally, this expansion is aligned with a larger regional strategy to address crime issues as the following cities are building/expanding their programs: Oakland (330+ cameras), Alameda County (90+ cameras), Fremont (120+ cameras), Emeryville (48+ cameras), Dublin (120+ cameras), etc. Hayward is the second busiest city in Alameda County from a crime standpoint (behind Oakland) and this program expansion will allow the City to increase solvability rates, collect valuable evidence, and better respond to in progress crimes.
The department had intended to present this item to the newly formed Council Public Safety Committee at the end of March prior to bringing it before the full Council. However, after discussions with the vendor, the City will realize significant cost savings if a contract can be executed prior to April 1, 2024.
STRATEGIC ROADMAP
While this agenda item does not directly support one of its 27 enumerated projects, the expansion of the City’s ALPR program would further the Strategic Priority of Enhancing Community Safety and Quality of Life by increasing crime solvability rates and aiding officers in combatting in-progress crimes.
FISCAL IMPACT
The FY 2024 ALPR program expansion will not have an additional impact on the General Fund as HPD will use its established FY 2024 CIP funding. Additionally, HPD’s FY 2025 CIP budget request included the funding for the second year of this agreement with Flock Safety. Currently, the Flock ALPR camera program is funded annually by the Hayward Police Department’s Capital Improvement Project 07411 (Fund 405). To aid in the proposed expansion, Flock Safety has agreed to help subsidize the installation cost of the thirty-five cameras. If the City is able to execute the contract for the expansion before April 1, 2024, Flock Safety has agreed to provide a discount of $10,312.50 toward the installation of the cameras.
The two-year agreement with Flock Safety for the purchase of thirty-five (35) additional Flock Safety automated license plate reader cameras in an amount not-to-exceed $300,000, for a total not-to-exceed of $500,000 for all agreements with Flock Safety.
NEXT STEPS
If Council adopts this resolution, staff will enter into a two-year purchase/service agreement with Flock Safety for the purchase of thirty-five ALPR cameras in an amount not-to-exceed $300,000.
Staff will also continue to contract with Flock Safety for the existing twenty-nine ALPR cameras.
The total for all Flock Safety agreements is not to exceed $500,000 over a two-year period.
Prepared by: David Dorn, Lieutenant
Laura Gomez, Senior Management Analyst
Recommended by: Bryan Matthews, Chief of Police
Approved by:
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Kelly McAdoo, City Manager