Map of Hermosa Beach Traffic Camera Locations
Four busy Hermosa Beach intersections soon will be under the gaze of local police officers, following the City Council's unanimous approval Tuesday of the purchase and installation of automated license plate readers (ALPR) at the sites.
The intersections are Pier Avenue at Valley Drive; Hermosa Avenue at 14th Street; Gould Avenue at Pacific Coast Highway; and Hermosa Avenue at 10th Street. Two other locations will be added at a later date: Aviation Boulevard at Prospect Avenue; and Hermosa Avenue and Herondo Street.
The readers, which scan the license plates of every vehicle passing through the locations, automatically check a database of stolen and other “wanted” vehicles and relay pertinent information to a department dispatcher.
Police Chief Paul LeBaron told council members that two police vehicles currently are equipped with the reader devices.
“The presence of community cameras and license plate readers in public areas has grown in the United States,” said LeBaron. “This technology has proven to be an efficient way for law enforcement to generate investigative leads and locate suspects.”
Funding for the purchase — $56,932.50 — was approved in the city’s current budget. Vigilant Solutions, which provided the two units now on police vehicles, won the contract because the company provides “proprietary software” allowing the coordinated operation of the readers. Licensing fees will add another cost of $3,400 annually, LeBaron said.
According to a staff report, “These tools have been tested in the field and are used to enhance community safety, officer safety, and reduce the need for escalation of force.”