AGENDA CAPTION:
Title
Consider approval of Resolution 2024-19R, approving a multiple use agreement with the State of Texas Department of Transportation for the installation of automated license plate reader cameras along state rights-of-way; authorizing the City Manager, or her designee, to execute said agreement on behalf of the city; and declaring an effective date.
Body
Meeting date: February 20, 2024
Department: Police
Amount & Source of Funding
Funds Required: 0
Account Number: NA
Funds Available: NA
Account Name: NA
Fiscal Note:
Prior Council Action: Approval of agreement for installation on City right-of-way.
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Background Information:
In accordance with the City Council’s strategic initiative to reduce violent crime in San Marcos, Council approved the use of automated license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras within City right-of-way in Resolution 2022-83R.
This technology has greatly enhanced SMPD’s ability to quickly identify and search for a particular vehicle involved in a violent offense to assist in rapidly mitigating the threat to our community. The ALPR camera systems can capture and process images from multiple lanes of traffic simultaneously and tested at high rates of speed. Because of this capability SMPD can strategically place these camera systems in locations advantageous to officers to capture offending vehicle information coming into and out of our city to again ensure quick identification of suspect vehicles and their route of travel. The ability to identify stolen vehicles in the city is a key component of this system as well. Having this information assists in combating crime before it takes place in our city by being alerted to these stolen vehicles entering our city. This connectivity to a nationwide database also alerts police officers in real time of Amber Alerts as the system is integrated with the Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Currently, the cameras can only be attached to infrastructure in the City’s right-of-way. This resolution would allow for an agreement to be made with TXDOT for cameras to be attached to infrastructure in the State’s right-of-way providing much better coverage for the primary routes of ingress and egress for the city.
Council Committee, Board/Commission Action:
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Alternatives:
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Recommendation:
Staff recommends approval