The suspect in an armed robbery of a convenience store on the northwest corner of Airport at and Yosemite Avenue was caught last week by Manteca Police thanks to vehicle information recorded by Flock cameras at strategic locations within the city.
It is the same investigative tool that allowed Manteca Police last month to arrest a 25-year Antioch man suspected of "bank jugging" outside the downtown Wells Fargo Bank.
Between April and June 2026, roughly 10 similar bank “jugging” incidents occurred across the city, resulting in over $78,000 in combined losses after thieves tracked customers leaving banks and burglarized their cars.
Information gleaned from footage that reads license plates and captures color, damage, and even bumper stickers in vehicles allowed police to identify a suspect who was arrested as he tried to enter the Wells Fargo Bank.
The City Council on Tuesday is being asked to spend $55,000 over the course of the next three years on an existing contract that will allow adding six more Flock cameras.
Police Stephen Schluer noted Manteca has been using license plate reader technology for 15 years. A decision by the current council to augment leftover COVID relief money with city funds allowed for a significant expansion of stationary Flock cameras at selected intersections.
That, in turn, has led to a significant jump in police being able to identify and arrest suspects.
Schluer stressed Manteca’s Flock cameras — in adherence to state law — can never be accessed by out-of-state law enforcement agencies. The department on a case-by-case basis determines what in-state law enforcement agencies they will share footage.
The Flock system in Manteca does not have facial recognition technology or anything that can “read” cell phone transmission. There are simply license plate readers and cameras that record images.
There are 82 license plate readers (LPR) dispersed across Manteca.
They enable police to read license plates as well as search for specific models, colors, and identifying features of vehicles involved in the commission of crimes.
Of the 82 cameras, 69 of them are contracted with Flock and the remaining 13 are tied to the red light cameras.
The cameras do not replace police officers or reduce the need for more officers. They don’t per se prevent crime but instead help solve them.
That said, by helping solve crimes they can lead to the arrest of suspects and help reduce the potential for future crime is the subject is found guilty and sentenced through the justice system.
The LPR cameras provide evidence in cases the police have little or no leads for, establishes timelines, shortens the time needed to solve cases in general, assists with stolen vehicle recovery, aids in investigating hit and run accidents, improves response time, and bolsters investigations.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
