With five industrial buildings already completed and five currently under construction, the area known as South Lathrop doesn’t get much vehicle traffic after the sun goes down.
And that’s why the Lathrop City Council approved creating a capital improvement project that will outfit the area with cameras and license plate readers to deter people from using the area – which also provides access to the levee along the San Joaquin River – for crime.
By creating the CIP the council authorized the budgeting of $150,000 for the first year to purchase the equipment necessary to surveil and monitor an area that has become popular with those looking to street race or conduct other illegal activities – away from prying eyes or nuisance vehicles.
According to the staff report prepared for the council, Lathrop City Manager Steve Salvatore already authorized the purchase of some of the equipment necessary to complete the task in order to prevent a delay in implementing the system due to the unpredictability of the supply chain following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The city plans to spend $79,766 to purchase surveillance cameras for the area around Yosemite Ave., Jefferson Way, Glacier Street, and Madruga Road – which completes a loop around the South Lathrop area – as well as $18,841 for the equipment, licensing, and installation of Vigilant Technologies’ license plate reading equipment.
Communication equipment is believed to cost an additional $22,900, with additional installation and fiber cabling costs being around $15,000. A 10 percent contingency of $13,500 will also be set aside for unforeseen cost overruns that may arise during the installation process.
“’This infrastructure in place gives officers an immediate tool to investigate and solve’ the crimes,” the staff report reads. “According to the International Association of Chiefs of Police, upward of 70 percent of crimes involve a vehicle.
“For example, stolen vehicles and stolen license plates are used to commit additional crimes. When an officer is notified of these stolen vehicles in the area, the officers are then able to prevent further crimes from taking place by stopping the current crime.”
In recent years as Lathrop has grown the city has looked to technological advancements to help aid law enforcement in providing the tools necessary to perform their ongoing mission of protecting the general public. The council has previously authorized the installation of license plate reading technology for law enforcement purposes, and have outfitted key city parks with cameras that can be accessed remotely by law enforcement – giving them the ability to have eyes on the area even when they are not physically present.
The briefing room at the Lathrop Police Department in River Islands is also equipped with large screens that can display camera feeds and be monitored remotely by staffers inside of the facility in the event that something is reported.
To contact Bulletin reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.
