Orinda expanding license plate reader camera installations

(KRON) — The City of Orinda is expanding its network of license plate recognition (LPR) cameras.

The city council approved a proposal on Tuesday evening to buy 15 extra cameras — that’s in addition to the 19 already installed in the city. Seven of them are run by the city while 12 are run by people in the community.

The City of Orinda currently has those seven LPR cameras placed at major thoroughfares and freeway exits, but residents who have experienced break-ins and thefts say they need them in their neighborhoods.

Thirty residents who live in Orinda’s Knickerbocker neighborhood have committed to buying and splitting a $5,000 a year bill to operate two solar-operated LPR cameras. Residents say the two cameras can cover an area of 200 homes.

Evan Dreyer is one of the 30 buyers. Dreyer says the community is taking matter into their own hands because over the past few years, the neighborhood has experienced an increase in crime.

“I think it’s been incredibly inspiring to see members of the community come together, support each other, support our police,” says Dreyer. “This is an investment of public safety.”

Dreyer himself is a victim of a break-in.

“We were freaked out for weeks,” says Dreyer. “And then we have these suspicious cars still coming up after, so we were freaked out for weeks they were trying to come back.”

The automated security cameras capture, read, and analyze license plates on vehicles. This data is then sent directly to police.

“What we’ve seen in the videos and in the trends and how these guys operate, they’re very smart,” says Dreyer. “They’re very decisive, they have a strategy; this is not sloppy. These are people who are professionals, and they know what they’re doing.”

Orinda Police Department Chief Anthony Rossi spoke at Tuesday’s city council meeting in support of the additional cameras. He says they can also assist during emergencies.

“These types of cameras will be instrumental in an evacuation,” says OPD Chief Rossi. “Say, we just had another accident, or we’re having a flow here, and people are trying to make their own lanes — I need to put resources there. That’s where that will come into play but that doesn’t need to be in all of the locations, just in the areas that are of higher concern.”