In an effort to reduce property theft related crimes, the Orinda Police Department will soon be utilizing Motion-Activated Surveillance Cameras (Reconyx) and an Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) within the City of Orinda. The Reconyx cameras will be located at various locations throughout the city and the ALPR camera will be utilized on one patrol car.
The ALPR system will instantly notify officers of stolen vehicles and the Motion-Activated Cameras will be integral in providing suspect leads to investigators. The City of Orinda held numerous City Council meetings which provided an opportunity for the community and City Council to ask questions and provide input.
The Motion-Activated Surveillance Camera (Reconyx) policy can be found on the City’s website at www.cityoforinda.org.  With the camera technology and the increase in community involvement, the Orinda Police Department is committed to making Orinda a safer city.Â
For additional information, please contact Police Chief, Mark Nagel at mnagel@cityoforinda.org or by calling (925) 254-6820
Good!
Is there anyone not using them now?
It will be interesting to see what happens once they are in place. It would be nice to see them lead to some arrests.
“Anti-crime cameras”? I am pretty sure you can’t ascribe a motive or raison d’etre to a camera. Surely they can help the police in catching some of the bad guys of the moment. I like that! But, don’t forget that the FBI illegally surveilled civil rights leaders and anti-war protesters of the sixties. The FBI and police defended the status quo, which at the time was racial segregation and a terrible war of aggression in Vietnam. They surveilled pretty much anything they were opposed to or feared was out of the norm. Then there were the reforms of the Church Commission, and then we had the national emergency of 9/11, and the reforms were all undone.
As cameras become commonplace, the police will ultimately use them however they choose. It will cut both ways. At some point they will be anti-anti-war cameras.
And I will be on their list of peaceniks
I’m withholding judgment until I see them in action. I do believe abuse is possible but I’m hoping they will be used for good.
I like the idea, but wonder about image retention period and privacy. The policy says “shortest time allowed by law,” but how long is that? 30 days? Seven years? Why not disclose a number. Anyone know?
Also, I worry about disclosure of images for non-criminal cases. For example, will all future Orinda divorce cases feature FOIA requests or subpoenas enabling the spouses to track each others’ comings and goings (and passengers)?
We think alike… at least in this instance!