Atwater might post license reading cameras around town

ATWATER -- Call it a CPS -- criminal positioning system.

To track the number of wrongdoers coming into the city, officials are debating a high-tech option to cut crime.

During a meeting last week, councilmembers weighed the idea of placing license plate readers at some of the main entrances to the city.

The idea came from the Atwater Police Department, and it's been discussed with the Public Safety Committee, said City Manager Greg Wellman.

The plate readers would serve as an extra set of eyes for law enforcement, he said.

"We're fully anticipating that the council will approve this as part of its annual budget," Wellman said. "It's wonderful technology."

The city plans to buy several plate readers, said Assistant City Manager Stan Feathers. Some would be stationary units and some would be mounted on patrol cars.

The new equipment would cost the city between $80,000 and $100,000, he said. The funds will come from housing development impact fees.

The technology would allow the police department to create a "hot list" of people with outstanding warrants, said Mayor Pro Tem Joe Rivero, who sits on the Public Safety Committee with Councilman Gary Frago.

The license plates of all vehicles that go by the readers would be stored in a temporary database, Rivero said. The police department could then run that database against a list of outstanding warrants.

The license plate readers would not only catch outstanding warrants, he said. If a witness to a crime is only able to relay a partial license plate number to law enforcement, authorities would be instantly notified once that vehicle passed by a plate reader.

"It's a huge crime deterrent," Rivero said.

Chief Richard Hawthorne said the Atwater Police Department enjoys taking advantage of technology.

With the two additional officers and license plate readers included in the 2010-11 proposed budget, the department should deploy a wide range of resources to combat crime -- especially as officers on injury leave return.

Despite overall arrests dropping in Atwater, theft is up to its highest level in the past five years.

Theft reports have risen from 719 in 2008 to 822 in 2009, according to the Atwater Police Department's 2009 annual report. But between 2008 to 2009, adult arrests fell 11.2 percent.

Burglary is also up to its highest point in five years, according to the report. There were 297 reports in 2008 and 414 in 2009.

"Arrests are hard to predict from year to year," Hawthorne said. "In regards to theft, the economy has a direct relation to the increase. Given the statistics throughout the country, you'll see that burglary and theft rates are beginning to climb."

If the Atwater Police Department receives two additional police officers as the proposed budget suggests, the city would benefit as injured officers continue to return, he added.

"Over the past year and a half or so, we've had about five officers out on work-related injuries, so we've had a lot of holes to fill," Hawthorne said. "These two officers will allow us to maintain a consistency out there on the street. It should help big time."

By focusing on crime prevention, the department tries to save the city money and ensure long-term safety, he said.

However, Hawthorne said when the economy takes a nose-dive, programs designed to keep young people out of trouble tend to disappear.

"Statistically, we have clearly proven that if you have dedicated prevention programs running, you can get in front of a lot of crimes," Hawthorne said. "You can direct youngsters into a different path as opposed to joining a gang and using narcotics."

If the police department gets its license plate readers, some criminals may be directed out of Atwater completely.

Reporter Mike North can be reached at (209) 385-2453 or mnorth@mercedsun-star.com.