By ALEXANDER BOLBOLIAN
Special to the Alpine Mountaineer
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department (SBCSD) has been rolling out an automated license plate reader (ALPR) camera expansion across the county, including an effort to monitor vehicles entering and leaving mountain communities. In unincorporated areas like Crestline, law enforcement falls under the jurisdiction of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, specifically the Twin Peaks Station.
However, recent local community updates reveal that a new camera installed at the intersection of Lake Drive and Lake Gregory Drive in Crestline last week is actually an Axon Enterprise ALPR camera, rather than a Flock Safety model.
While neighboring agencies, such as the San Bernardino City Council and the City of Rialto, have recently approved multimillion-dollar contracts to deploy or switch to Axon Enterprise’s ALPR technology, many of the county’s physical roadside installations have primarily featured Flock systems.
The deployment of the new camera in Crestline has sparked a split in community sentiment:
Supporters highlight the technology’s success in helping law enforcement locate missing children, track stolen vehicles and apprehend perpetrators of hit-and-runs or physical assaults. Flock Safety and Axon Enterprise representatives, in addition to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, have defended the technology, saying it can support law enforcement efforts and help solve crimes more efficiently.
Opponents argue that adequate safeguards, oversight and public accountability are lacking. They cite concerns that ALPR cameras raise significant privacy and civil liberties issues by collecting and retaining information about people who have not been accused of crimes. Critics also question who can access the data, how long it is stored and what safeguards are in place to prevent misuse. Many are demanding a larger role in deciding how this technology is used, how it is monitored and who is ultimately accountable for it.
These automated license plate readers operate by capturing images of passing vehicles, including license plate numbers, vehicle make, model, color and direction of travel. The images are then translated into alphanumeric data and compared against a locally stored “hot list” of vehicle license plates associated with criminal activity. If a match occurs, deputies receive an immediate notification to confirm the plate before taking law enforcement action.
The Alpine Mountaineer reached out to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, which recommended attending town hall meetings, such as the Crestline Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) meetings. Representatives from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department attend these meetings to provide local crime statistics, field community questions and address mountain safety concerns.
Crestline MAC meetings take place on the first Tuesday of even-numbered months (February, April, June, August, October and December) at 6:30 p.m. at the San Moritz Lodge.
Editor’s note: It has come to our knowledge on the evening of September 15 (after this week’s issue was printed at the press office) that the camera has been removed from the intersection. It is not yet known who is responsible for this action.
0 Comments