City considers car-license cameras

The City of Shelton is considering installing 12 cameras at city entrances that read vehicle license plates and within 20 seconds alert Shelton Police of stolen plates or cars, missing persons or abducted children.

At a June 25 study session, the Shelton City Council heard presentations on the system by Flock Safety that is used in 61 locales in the state, including the cities of Olympia, Kent, Marysville, Omak, Centralia and Aberdeen.

“One of the biggest things to understand about this is if someone is rolling into our city with a stolen car, or stolen plates on their car, they’re not here for our assistance, they’re up to something else,” Shelton Police Chief Chris Kostad told the council. “They’re going to steal another car, they’re going to steal someone’s property, they’re going to Walmart to steal something … in a stolen car so they won’t be detected.”

Kostad, and Kristen MacLeod, a community engagement manager with Flock Safety, both stressed that the cameras do not capture the faces of drivers and are not used for tracking speed or parking violations. The data automatically deletes every 30 days.

Even if the vehicle doesn’t have a license plate, the cameras can identify the make of the vehicle, the body type, color, and the back and top racks, MacLeod said.

“Flock cameras also serve as a deterrent,” she said. “When cameras go up in communities, word spreads pretty quickly and it makes it a lot less desirable for individuals who are intent on community crime in your communities to do so.”

She showed statistics from the system in Yakima between April and January: it showed 596 stolen vehicle alerts, 276 stolen license plates, 190 violent person alerts, 133 wanted people, 28 sex offenders and 33 missing persons.

Kostad said a two-year subscription would cost the city $40,800 the first year, $36,000 the second. The first year’s cost includes the startup fees, and after that it’s $3,000 per camera per year. The city is applying for several grants to help pay for it, he said.

The license plate recognition cameras are solar powered and motion activated. Kostad said the city would work with Mason PUD 3 on the sites, and he listed possible locations, including three at the Wallace Kneeland Boulevard/Olympic Highway North intersection, one on East Shelton Springs Road, Olympic Highway North and A Street, the 1700 block of West Railroad Avenue, Lake Boulevard at the city limits, and Olympic Highway South and Arcadia Road.

Council member Melissa Stearns was absent, but the other six council members agreed the offer is worth consideration.

“I don’t know what price we put on finding a missing child, or a kidnapped child,” said Mayor Eric Onisko. “I think it’s a small cost.”

“I think it’s something we should pursue,” said council member Miguel Gutierrez. “And if we don’t like it, we can get rid of it.”

City staff will craft a resolution that will come before the council.