San Carlos Considers Adding License Plate Readers As Crime Fighting Tool
SAN CARLOS (CBS SF) - San Carlos will look at installing license plate scanning cameras to combat an uptick in crime, The Daily Journal reports.
Sheriff's officials will request funds next week to purchase two readers - one to be placed near the Highway 101 onramp, a second to be mounted on a patrol car.
"We're not trying to blanket the city with them...We're trying to deal with an identified crime problem in a particular area," San Carlos Sheriff's Bureau Chief Greg Rothaus
told the paper.
San Carlos officials say there have been robberies at Best Buy, Trader Joe's and other nearby businesses this year. About 70 thefts have taken place near the location of the proposed fixed camera, the paper reports.
The mayor has already raised privacy concerns about installing the cameras and questioned ow the data collected would be used.
Similar cameras are in use in other cities. But unlike San Carlos, Tiburon and some other smaller municipalities attempt to monitor all traffic in and out of the area using the cameras.
