By Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager
Last week the City Council approved a $1.4 million, five-year contract for 69 Flock cameras that will be installed throughout Newport Beach — the first of several planned public safety technology enhancements to improve crime prevention and investigations.
The Flock cameras (also known as ALPR, or automatic license plate readers) will be placed at all Newport Beach inbound and outbound gateways.
The cameras scan license plates and vehicle characteristics as vehicles pass through their field of view on public roadways. The images captured by the ALPRs are then processed, encrypted and uploaded to a secure database where they can only be accessed by the Newport Beach Police Department (NBPD). The database allows police officers and investigators to search by date, time, location, direction of travel, and vehicle description to identify vehicles used in crimes.
The system includes access to nationwide data and flags “hotlisted” vehicles that have been used in crimes. The NBPD will receive alerts on stolen vehicles, Amber Alerts, missing and endangered persons, and more.
With respect to privacy concerns, the cameras will only be accessed as part of a crime investigation and will not be used for traffic enforcement. Importantly, the cameras only identify vehicles and do not include facial recognition capabilities. The locations and camera angles are fixed, and only monitor roadways.
The Flock camera system was part of a series of recommendations presented to the Council in May by the Public Safety Technology Ad Hoc Committee. The committee spent several months evaluating new technologies used by neighboring police departments, and visited agencies where some of the proposed technologies are now in use, prior to making its recommendations.
The goal of these improvements is to equip officers and civilian police staff with the latest tools to gather and analyze crime information to improve decision-making, which will aid in crime prevention, the apprehension of criminals, and the recovery of stolen property. Deployment of the technology will also act as a deterrent for individuals and groups who evaluate potential crime targets, increasing overall community safety.
Other technology upgrades, which will be adopted in the coming months, include a Crime Information Center to serve as the central technology hub for real-time intelligence gathering and assessments, FUSUS software to boost the department’s pre-approved access to video surveillance, and the development of a drone program to monitor and investigate crime incidents.
‘Active Kids’ Registration Opened July 18
Registration for Active Kids opened on Thursday, July 18. Parents can sign up for annual or fall Active Kids sessions held at Newport Elementary, Mariners VJC, or the Community Youth Center.
Active Kids is an after-school program for youth in grades K-6, and includes planned indoor and outdoor activities, homework assistance, and creative arts.
Register at https://www.newportbeachca.gov/government/departments/recreation-senior-services/youth-teen-programs.
Be Well Mobile Crisis Response
The Be Well mobile crisis response team operates in Newport Beach 12 hours a day, seven days a week to respond to mental and behavioral health crises. The mobile unit is staffed with mental health specialists and works closely with the City’s police and fire departments.
This week, the Be Well team:
- Transported an older adult home after resolving a mental health crisis.
- Transported two people to the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
- Transported a person to a crisis stabilization unit for treatment.
- Transported a person to a mental health facility for treatment.
- Transported two people to homeless service providers.
- Transported two people to bus stops to return home.
The mobile crisis team is dispatched through the Newport Beach Police Department. To request service, dial 911 or call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at (949) 644-3717.
Homelessness Update
This week, the City’s homeless outreach and response teams:
- Placed a person who had experienced street-level homelessness for over five years into permanent supportive housing.
- Continued to shelter people: 25 people who had been experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach are sheltered in the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
- Placed a person into permanent housing after experiencing street-level homelessness for 34 years. Trellis International and the City of Costa Mesa staff collaborated to furnish his new home.
- Reunified a person with family in Michigan after a brief stay at the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
- Sheltered a person at the Yale Navigation Center. The person secured an apartment and is waiting for the move-in date.
- Sheltered an older adult in a motel to facilitate an assisted living placement.
- Continued to shelter people: 24 people who had been experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach are sheltered in the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
