In wake of deadly South County shootings, Soledad considers additional security cameras

SOLEDAD, Calif. (KION-TV)-- The city of Soledad will weigh whether to install six new license plate reading cameras at the city council meeting on Wednesday.

According to a city report, it's in response to numerous high-profile crimes in and around Soledad over the past two years. This includes the King City mass shooting on March 3rd and the double homicide just outside Soledad back on February 4th.

In both those cases, the suspects used the outlying roads with no camera systems and came from neighboring cities or counties. According to the report, for each of the crimes, the suspects and their vehicles would have been seen and recorded if a camera system had been installed where the police department is working to place the new cameras.

If council approves the resolution, the six Flock cameras would be integrated into Soledad's current camera system.

According to the report, the Monterey County Sheriff's Office and all south county law enforcement agencies are exploring the incorporation of Flock cameras into their current camera programs. They're also discussing connecting all the systems to share information countywide, which the report says could have assisted in tracking down the King City mass shooting assailants.

Soledad's council has already approved an allocation of $90,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for this purpose. The funding will cover the cost of setting up the cameras and their operation over the next five years. The total contact amount is $91,800 so the city is recommending the entire amount come from ARPA, including the original allocation plus $1,800 in ARPA interest.