Soledad City Council installs eight more Flock license plate reader cameras
SOLEDAD, Calif (KION-TV) - The City of Soledad announced Friday that they will be installing eight more "Flock" cameras to help ensure public safety.
The city said they are signing a five-year contract with Flock Group, Inc., the solar-powered, motion-activated cameras that read license plates.
"Following the King City mass shooting, many jurisdictions have begun exploring the possibility of connecting city camera systems to share information on critical incidents and threats to public safety," wrote the city on their website announcing the addition to the project.
The City of Soledad decided to move forward with the agreement to bring the original six Flock cameras to the city during a council-approved meeting May 15.
Officials said it’s meant to enhance their existing camera system, following several high-profile crimes in South Monterey County.
“Recently, several high-profile criminal incidents have occurred in the outlying areas surrounding the City,” says Deputy Chief Fred Lombardi. “Both these incidents occurred in areas not currently covered by City cameras, and the suspects, along with the suspect vehicles, would have been captured on video if Flock cameras had been deployed in the current blind [location]."
Soledad Police Chief Damon Wasson said this is meant to help not only their city, but also neighboring communities.
“If we have a crime here in Soledad, then we can input the information into the system, and anyone that's got a Flock camera that we've given access to, or that has access to our system, that will automatically pop up in their system," Wasson said.
Chief Wasson adds, they have been looking at integrating the city’s cameras with other South County departments for some time.
He points to the recent investigations surrounding the double homicide just outside Soledad and the King City mass shooting for the potential usefulness of these cameras.
“After the shootings down in King City, if we would have had our cameras set up at the Old Adobe out there, perhaps we could have caught that vehicle," Chief Wasson said.
During the Apr. 3 meeting, Soledad City Council approved $90,000 from the American Rescue Plan act to fund these cameras. The money will help fund the entire system and maintenance for five years.
"It's not a system to spy on people," Wasson said. "It's a system to help us if a crime is committed to make our communities safe."
The city also points to the successful use of Flock cameras in other cases in Salinas, Seaside, and Marina.
