Great Wolf Lodge — the proposed $200 million destination resort featuring a 500-room hotel with indoor water-park — may not be very friendly for vehicle burglars.

 That’s because Manteca Police are pushing for license plate scanners at the parking lot entrances for the resort envisioned just west of Costco on 30 acres owned by the city.

Most who burglarize vehicles ply their trade while driving stolen vehicles. The license plate scanners almost instantly compare plates with a database of stolen vehicles and cars registered to individuals wanted for crime.

River Islands at Lathrop will eventually have license plate scanners at the handful of entrances to the planned community of 10,800 homes. Lathrop Police will also be provided with video camera feeds from main thoroughfares and key public locations within the community. That will allow police to follow on video in real time the progress of someone driving a stolen vehicle so they can make an arrest.

License plate scanners were proposed for the Promenade Shops at Orchard Valley back in 2008 as part of the development agreement. But it was rejected by developers as being too expensive.

Subsequently after JC Penney had been open for a full year, then Police Chief Dave Bricker reported that the store experienced $700,000 plus in shoplifting loses. Bricker noted at the time most criminals drive stolen vehicles whether they are planning to shoplift, break into another vehicle or commit another crime such as auto theft. If the scanners had been required they would have cut into crime at the shopping center anchored by Bass Pro Shops.

Ripon doesn’t have license plate scanners posted around town but they have a Motorola system in place that allows police — once a button is activated inside  a bank — to see live footage of robbers as they leave the premises and drive down streets to flee Ripon. The system has allowed Ripon to make arrests in all bank robberies that have occurred since the system was installed.