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APPROVE MOTION TO CONTINUE ANNUAL SERVICE AGREEMENT FOR AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READER SYSTEMS
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RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council approve a motion:
1. Authorizing the City Manager to approve continued annual software and maintenance service of the Stockton Police Department’s (SPD) Automated License Plate Reader systems, by exercising the option to renew the contract on an annual basis, over a five-year period.
2. Authorizing and directing the City Manager to make any and all expenditures and appropriations on behalf of the City as appropriate and necessary to carry out the purpose and intent of this motion.
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Summary
The SPD uses Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) systems to enhance investigative abilities and reduce crime by analyzing license plate information and alerting the agency when a match is identified. Currently, there are eight patrol cars outfitted with ALPR for proactive assignments such as the Community Response Team (CRT). In 2017, the City entered into an agreement with Vigilant Solutions, LLC (Vigilant) to provide hardware, software, and maintenance. While the agreement has an option to automatically renew annually; the amount of the annual renewal requires Council approval. Staff recommends Council approve the option to renew the agreement on an annual basis, for a period of five years, at an anticipated cost of $306,076.
DISCUSSION
Background
Since 2012, the SPD has worked to implement the Marshall Plan through a combination of rebuilding of staffing levels and procurement of technology tools that enhance our operational and investigative abilities. The 2020-2022 Strategic Plan is based on two pillars that support the Department’s operations: Smarter Policing, and Principled Policing. The basic premise of Smarter Policing is to identify technology such as body-worn cameras and crime analytics software, which offer a wide breadth of assistance to SPD staff without a significant additional staffing burden. ALPR’s access to the National Vehicle Location Service (NVLS) and to data provided by national private data entities (such as repossession and towing companies) leverage data across multiple sources to assist in criminal investigations. This data is not only used in identifying stolen vehicles, but also in locating and tracking vehicles involved in a crime.
The National Vehicle Location Service (NVLS) is a database that is comprised of information gathered from ALPR systems. License plate readers from fixed locations, i.e., traffic light stanchions or toll booths, and mobile platforms, such as police vehicles, capture the date, time, and location of a vehicle along with a photograph of the vehicle and the license plate. Law enforcement agencies that deploy fixed, mobile, or a combination of both types of ALPRs further enhance the amount of information available to their officers and investigators. With this specialized software, an officer in the field can be notified when their mobile ALPR encounters a vehicle wanted in connection with a crime or a missing person’s vehicle. Investigators can use the software to set up alerts on a possible suspect’s vehicle or to cross-reference license plates that were all in the area of a crime scene, such as finding a common plate that was captured near a series of robberies that appear to be linked. Data from ALPR systems can be input into existing crime analysis and link analysis software to provide investigators with enhanced investigative aids.
In 2017, Council approved findings to allow the purchase of four ALPR systems manufactured by Vigilant, in the amount of $113,103, through its sole distributor LEHR Auto Electric, per motion #2017-03-28-1104. In 2018, Council approved the expansion of the ALPR program to purchase four additional systems, in the amount of $86,355, by motion #2018-11-06-1106. The purchase contracts included the initial hardware, software, and maintenance costs.
Present Situation
The SPD currently deploys eight vehicles affixed with mobile ALPR systems. The estimated life cycle of a mobile ALPR is ten years. Through the agreement with Vigilant, the SPD has a current annual subscription for software, maintenance, and access to the NVLS database. NVLS houses all captured SPD data, which SPD officers use as an investigative tool. The SPD intends to continue the ALPR program for the next five years as this is the only solution to offer this service. The current agreement allows subsequent one-year service periods to be exercised upon payment of that year’s invoice, with a maximum annual increase of four percent over the previous year. Staff recommends approval of funding to allow the ability to exercise this option of renewal, to be reviewed annually by the SPD, for the next five years.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
The cost of the next service period is $56,510 (Attachment A). Based on an estimated increase in cost of four percent per year, the estimated total cost for a five-year period is $306,076, as detailed below.
Renewal Annual Estimated
Year Amount Increase
2021 $56,510 $2,260
2022 $58,770 $2,351
2023 $61,121 $2,445
2024 $63,566 $2,543
2025 $66,109
Total $306,076
There is no financial impact to the General Fund. Funding is available in the FY 2021-2022 Police Department Grants and Special Programs State COPS Account No. 3514-323-650002-260-262-20-35-000-000-.
Attachment A - LEHR Quote 30534