Dear Council,
I am a resident of Menlo Park. I am writing to express my concerns regarding the Police Department’s request for 36 fixed cameras that will record license plate data and detect firearm discharges.
I have many questions and concerns that I hope the Council will seek to understand during the study session on Tuesday, September 26.
Question one is Why? Why do we need this technology in our town? Do we have a high crime rate? Do we have a frequency of firearm discharges in our town?
Question two: does the usefulness of this technology outweigh citizen privacy interests? I believe that being able to drive through my town without having my license plate captured and recorded has a high value.
Question three: does the technology warrant an expenditure of nearly $300,000 for installation and an ongoing cost of over $250,000/year for monitoring? I have serious doubts.
The Police Department needs to provide very clear and persuasive reasons for the installation of such a system in our neighborhoods before I will be convinced that this is the right way to spend our dollars. I am sure there are many more useful ways to spend our limited budget such as increased after school programs, bike infrastructure, housing subsidies, park upgrades, etc., etc.
I look forward to the Council’s study session.
Leah Elkins
Sent from my iPhone
