City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: Police
Meeting Date: December 2, 2024
Report #:2408-3360
TITLE
Approval of Amendment Number 1 to Contract Number S23187316 with Flock Safety in the amount of $349,808 for Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) to Implement 10 Additional Cameras and Extend the Term through December 2029 in a new not to exceed of $524,208; CEQA status – categorically exempt (Section 15321 enforcement actions)
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council approve and authorize the City Manager or their designee to execute Amendment Number 1 to Contract Number S23187316 with Flock Safety for Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) to add 10 ALPR cameras and extend the term through December 2029 in an amount not to exceed $349,808. This amendment results in a revised not to exceed amount $524,208.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Police Department currently utilizes twenty Flock fixed ALPR cameras, which provide real- time alerts and investigative leads regarding stolen vehicles and plates, and vehicles associated with criminal activity. The deployment of fixed ALPR and the associated surveillance use policy was approved by the City Council in 20231. Based on the success of the initial deployment and in response to the identification of high-traffic areas lacking coverage, the Department is seeking to add ten additional cameras and extend the term of the contract for all thirty cameras for an additional forty-one months. The cost of the new cameras will be entirely covered by grant funding for the first three years.
BACKGROUND
On April 3 , 2023, the City Council approved a three-year contract, in the amount of $174,400, with Flock Safety for the deployment of twenty fixed ALPR cameras, as well as the associated Surveillance Use Policy1.
Based on the success of the twenty ALPR cameras already deployed, and the identification of specific areas where additional cameras would be useful, the Police Department proposes deploying ten additional ALPR cameras and extending the term of the contract for all thirty cameras thru December of 2029.
ANALYSIS
Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology uses a combination of cameras and computer software to scan the license plates of passing vehicles. The cameras, which are mounted to fixed infrastructure (e.g., lamp posts or street signs), capture computer-readable images that allow law enforcement to compare plate numbers against plates of known stolen vehicles or vehicles associated with individuals wanted on criminal charges. When a match is found, a real-time alert is generated, notifying police of the location where the image of the stolen or wanted vehicle was captured. ALPR data is also used by investigators, after a crime has been committed, to identify and locate associated vehicles.
The deployment of Flock fixed ALPR cameras in Palo Alto began in July of 2023, with all twenty cameras operational by November of 2023. Since that time, the Department has used these cameras to great effect. Real-time alerts generated by the ALPR cameras have resulted in the recovery of dozens of stolen vehicles and stolen license plates, the apprehension of numerous wanted persons, and the seizure of firearms. In addition, ALPR has been used to safely locate missing persons. Data captured by the ALPR cameras has also assisted investigators in identifying and arresting numerous felony suspects after crimes have been committed. A few particularly notable examples to illustrate the variety of successful applications of Flock ALPR in Palo Alto over the past 12 months include:
An elderly man, who suffers from dementia, was discovered to have taken his caregiver’s vehicle without permission and was missing. Flock data was used to determine his path of travel and locate him safely within the hour. Two suspects committed an armed robbery in Palo Alto after having just committed an armed robbery in another city. A Flock real-time alert allowed officers to locate the vehicle within minutes, apprehend the suspects, and recover multiple firearms. 1 City Council, April 4, 2023, Item # 11, SR #2301-0741 https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Public/CompiledDocument?meetingTemplateId=1105&compileOutputType= 1 Two suspects committed a robbery at a shopping center and injured a police officer during their escape. Flock data was used to identify and locate the suspect vehicle and arrest both suspects within 24 hours.
A suspect was arrested in connection with a series of felony retail thefts. Investigators were able to strengthen their case by using Flock data to confirm that the suspect’s vehicle had, in fact, been in the area at the times of the thefts. A vehicle used in the commission of a homicide in another city entered Palo Alto. A Flock real-time alert allowed officers to locate the vehicle within minutes, and detain a suspect who was subsequently arrested by the investigating agency.
To derive maximum benefit with the fewest cameras needed, the Department placed its initial twenty ALPR cameras at strategically selected locations based on several factors: crime statistics, common vehicular ingress and egress points, and traffic volume.
The Department has identified other ingress and egress points without existing camera coverage, which suspects appear to be using to circumvent ALPR detection. Deploying ALPR cameras in these areas would provide more comprehensive coverage of vehicular ingress and egress points known to be used by suspects. The Department has also identified other heavily trafficked areas within the city with no existing camera coverage. Deploying ALPR cameras in these areas would allow officers to locate suspect vehicles more quickly within the City following an initial alert upon entry. The Department proposes to add ten total new cameras (for an on-going total of 30), to accomplish these goals.
Additional Flock ALPR cameras will be deployed, and the associated data used, consistent with the Fixed ALPR surveillance use policy already approved by the City Council in 2023. In relevant part:
Data will only be accessible to trained staff with a legitimate law enforcement need, and all queries will be logged and subject to audit.
The Department will only share its data with other local law enforcement agencies with whom an MOU is in place. Neither the Department, nor Flock Safety, will share the Department’s data with any non-law enforcement entities. Data not saved as evidence in a specific criminal investigation will be purged after 30 days.
The Department will continue to make accessible to the public, via its ALPR webpage 2, relevant policies as well as information concerning the number of cameras deployed, the data retention 2 PAPD ALPR Webpage
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Police/Public-Information-Portal/Automated-License-Plate- Recognition-ALPR
period, and the names of law enforcement agencies with whom it shares data. Flock Safety will also continue to maintain a publicly accessible Transparency Portal3 containing much of the same information.
Since implementation, the Department has conducted quarterly compliance audits of Flock system access by its users to ensure that searches are only being conducted for legitimate law enforcement purposes and consistent with Department policy and the applicable surveillance use policy. These audits found no incidents of unauthorized access or misuse. Compliance audits will continue during the term of the amended agreement.
This report recommends the Council approve an Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. S23187316 with Flock Safety for implementation of ten additional ALPR cameras and extension of terms for all thirty ALPR cameras through December 2029.
Contract Amendment with Flock Safety
The proposed contract amendment calls for Flock Safety to install 10 additional ALPR cameras at locations identified by the Police Department, and to maintain a total of 30 ALPR cameras at locations identified by the Department. It also calls for Flock Safety to provide the Department with searchable access to its ALPR data, and to store the data for 30 days. The amended contract will have a five-year term, extending the existing term by forty-one months thru December 2029.
The original contract 1 was approved by Council on April 03, 2023 and was exempted from the competitive solicitation process to piggyback from City of Alameda’s solicited contract, under PAMC § 2.30.360(k). The ten additional cameras will come at an increased rate under the terms of the amendment as Flock has since increased its rates from those in the original contract; as such, the Department is exempting the amendment by § 2.30.360(d). Flock ALPR technology is currently the city standard for fixed ALPR, with 20 cameras deployed. Although, there may be comparable cameras on the market, it would be cost-prohibitive and inefficient to run multiple platforms due to incompatibility with existing City infrastructure. In addition, because Flock ALPR equipment is used by all the City’s neighboring law enforcement agencies, the Department’s use of Flock technology is critical to ensuring inter-agency investigative and enforcement collaboration, as data is shared among agencies pursuant to MOU. The Department is requesting to acquire the equipment directly from the manufacturer, as no other vendor provides, installs, or services Flock ALPR equipment.
3 PAPD Flock Transparency Portal
https://transparency.flocksafety.com/palo-alto-ca-pd
TIMELINE
The Department is informed that, following Council approval, Flock Safety can complete the installation of the additional ten cameras within approximately sixty days.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
Just as with its existing Flock ALPR cameras, the Department is contracting for the installation and use – not the purchase – of ten additional ALPR cameras. Flock Safety will complete the installation and setup of the cameras. The cameras require no utility connection. Flock Safety will maintain or replace the cameras as needed. Data storage will be the responsibility of Flock Safety, who will be responsible for maintaining CJIS data protocols, and the data will be accessed via a web platform, requiring no new software.
Under the terms of the existing agreement, the City has already paid $144,400 of the amended not-to-exceed total of $524,208 (for implementation and use of the existing cameras in FY 2023- 2025).
Under the terms of the amended agreement, the total cost of the Flock ALPR program in FY 2025 will be $85,000, with $35,808 of that being attributable to the amendment (installation and use of the new cameras) and the balance having already been paid. This new cost will be covered by grant funding obtained by the Department via the State’s Organized Retail Theft (ORT) Grant Program. In FY 2026, the total cost of the Flock ALPR program will be $83,500; $33,500 of this cost will be covered by ORT grant funding, with the balance subject to appropriation of funds through the annual budget process. In FY 2027, the total cost of the Flock ALPR program will be $93,500; $33,500 of this cost will be covered by ORT grant funding, with the balance subject to appropriation of funds through the annual budget process. In FY 2028 and FY 2029, the total cost of the Flock ALPR program will be $93,500 annually, with the cost subject to appropriation of funds through the annual budget process unless staff can identify additional funding. The amendment also included $7,500 to be used to cover any costs associated with the relocation of cameras or damages not covered by warranty.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
Since February of 2023, the Department has maintained an informational webpage, including an opportunity for community comments or questions. The Department has not received any substantive comments during the past 12 months.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Approval of this agreement is categorically exempt under CEQA regulation 15321 for enforcement actions.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Amendment Number 1 to Contract No. S23187316 with Flock Safety Attachment B: Council-approved Palo Alto Police Fixed ALPR Surveillance Use Policy
APPROVED BY:
Andrew Binder, Police Chief