San Bernardino County board supports license plate readers, ballot box cameras

Automated license plate readers will be deployed by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department to deter crime in Muscoy, Arrowhead Farms and Rosena Ranch following Board of Supervisors approval July 9.

The board backed a proposal by 5th District Supervisor Joe Baca Jr. to appropriate $364,750 from the 2024-25 his district’s discretionary fund budget to the sheriff’s department for the installation of ALPR systems in the three unincorporated areas, according to a county statement.

“ALPR systems automatically capture an image of a vehicle and the vehicle’s license plate, transform the plate image into alphanumeric characters using optical character recognition, compare the plate number acquired to one or more databases of vehicles of interest to law enforcement, and then alert law enforcement officers when a vehicle of interest has been observed,” according to the county statement.

“The stored license plate data also provides law enforcement investigators with a pointer system that may help them identify vehicles associated with suspects, witnesses or victims, and to develop exculpatory information that assists them with focusing their investigative resources,” officials said. “The data also allows law enforcement to connect serial criminal activities that may have occurred in other law enforcement jurisdictions.”

The license plate readers will be in nine locations in Muscoy, seven locations in Arrowhead Farms and two in Rosena Ranch. The placement of the readers will be decided by the Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator Department, who will manage and oversee the ALPR project.

A time frame on when the ALPR installations will occur was not available.

Cameras OK’d for ballot drop boxes

Responding to some residents’ concerns, the board agreed to place cameras at more ballot drop boxes countywide.

“State law required the county to provide a minimum number of lockable drop boxes for the 2020 Presidential General Election,” according to a county statement. “There are currently more than 70 drop boxes installed throughout the county, which provide voters a safe and expedient way to cast a voted ballot.”

About half of the county’s drop boxes were in locations monitored by existing surveillance systems, officials said. Cameras for drop boxes are suggested but not required under state law.

In response to concerns from the public about the need for cameras at all locations, camera installation began earlier this month at drop boxes on county government properties.

“The county will continue to work toward securing cameras to monitor all drop boxes in the county,” according to the statement.