Criminals driving through Cupertino could be caught by just their license plate as the tech hub becomes one of the last in Santa Clara County to install detection technology.
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 Tuesday to allow the County Sheriff’s Office to implement 15 cameras that automatically read license plates throughout Cupertino. The cameras — which connect back to the sheriff’s office, California Highway Patrol and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children databases — allow police to track stolen cars or cars associated with a crime. They do not capture faces and data is deleted every 30 days. Supervisor Susan Ellenberg abstained from voting over concerns about officers violating procedures, including sharing data with unauthorized law enforcement agencies, listed in the sheriff’s annual surveillance report between July 2023 and June 2024.
Cupertino, which doesn’t have its own police department, will shell out approximately $60,000 annually for the cameras for up to five years. The cameras will be affixed to poles and street signals in the coming months at 15 prime locations. These areas include Foothill Boulevard at Starling Drive, North Stelling Road at Homestead Road and Bollinger Road at Lawrence Expressway. They will also be installed along Stevens Creek Boulevard at Peninsula and Stern avenues and Campus Drive; Wolfe Road at Vallco Parkway, Pruneridge Avenue and Perimeter Road; and De Anza Boulevard at Prospect Road, Rainbow Drive, Apple’s headquarters and the eastbound offramp on Interstate 280.
Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga, who represents District 5 including Cupertino, supported the technology because she’s seen it work in other cities, including Mountain View, were she served as a councilmember. Abe-Koge was surprised Cupertino didn’t have them already, since its a tech hub where residents have growing concerns about property crimes.
“It’s always hard to have enough staff to do the patrols, so I look at this as technology that provides another tool for our law enforcement and peace officers to be able to keep our neighborhood safe,” Abe-Koga told San José Spotlight.
The technology is already implemented in nearby cities the sheriff’s office serves, including Saratoga and Los Altos Hills.
Sgt. Russell Davis, spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, said the program has been useful in communities across the county. He added residents shouldn’t be concerned about the office’s use of the cameras because of the strict guidelines.
“It’s been such a successful program and residents have come forward to us (who) were victims of a crime, expressing to us how grateful they are to have these cameras,” Davis told San José Spotlight.
Cupertino hit a 12-year crime low last year, with 798 reported incidents. Officials, including Councilmember Sheila Mohan, want to maintain the downward trend through new tools such as the cameras.
Mohan was part of a unanimous council vote last October that approved the cameras locally before it went to the county for a vote.
“It’s not a perfect solution (to crime), but I think it’s a step in the right direction,” she told San José Spotlight.
Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X.
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