Orinda Installing More Surveillance Cameras, Plate Readers

ORINDA (KCBS) – The East Bay community of Orinda is installing more video surveillance cameras and automatic license plate readers at some key locations.

Orinda first brought in police surveillance cameras last year.

"At the time, the police department's solve rate of solving crimes was not an acceptable level to me. And we also wanted a way to deter these crimes, mainly residential burglaries, in the first place," Police Chief Mark Nagel told KCBS.

Nagel said says the cameras have made a difference. That includes providing a key tip that led to the arrest of a suspect in connection with a brutal home invasion robbery that happened in December.

"Automated license plate readers will tell an officer if a car is stolen or if a person is wanted. But it also provides a little bit of a database for our investigations to go back and investigate crimes and provide us a lead," Nagel said.

Many of the eight additional cameras will be installed at busy areas that have experienced property crimes while an automatic license plate reader will be mounted on a police cruiser.