License Plate Surveillance Program Coming to Tamarac

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By Kevin Deutsch

Authorities will install license plate reader (LPR) cameras across Tamarac as part of a new vehicle surveillance program.

According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the first phase of the citywide program is expected to include 33 automatic LPR cameras at nine locations, including major roadways around city boundaries.

According to city documents, another element of the program will install nine additional LPR cameras at the Public Service Complex and several city parks.

BSO and city staff received the go-ahead to move forward with the program at Monday’s city commission workshop.

BSO officials said at the meeting that Law Enforcement Trust Fund money will cover the estimated $669,000 in costs to launch the citywide program. BSO is expected to purchase the surveillance cameras and three “speed trailers” that track and display drivers’ speeds.

The part of the program focusing on city facilities will be paid for with an estimated $30,850 in money from the city’s Master Plan funding, officials said.

The facilities program will initially operate as a one-year pilot program. It could be expanded into a second phase that would add a total of 18 license plate reader cameras at ten city properties, according to city staff.

After the first year, officials said the program would require annual budgeting and allocation by the city.

LPR cameras work with computer software to scan the license plates of passing vehicles. The technology compares each plate against a national law enforcement database, aiming to identify vehicles used by criminals or missing persons. Detectives can also use the technology to help solve cases.

A majority of Broward County municipalities use LPRs to track vehicle plates, including Coral Springs, Lauderhill, North Lauderdale, and Margate, according to BSO.

BSO officials said the cameras would improve public safety in Tamarac, where crime is a continuing concern for residents.

“The analogy that I think is most apropos is, everybody in your neighborhood has an alarm system on their home, and yours does not,” BSO Lieutenant Christopher Palamara told commissioners Monday.

Commissioners said they had concerns about residents’ privacy as well as vehicle data potentially being retained by the technology. But, they said, the benefits of the program outweigh those concerns.

“Our residents are screaming for better protection,” said Mayor Michelle Gomez. “So I am 100 percent for this, even though I can’t stand the idea of being watched.”

Vice Mayor Morey Wright said the commission’s job on the issue is “balancing privacy and protection.”

“In this case, I’m in favor of protection,” Wright said.

Wight and Commissioner Kicia Daniel peppered Palamara and BSO Captain Jemeriah Cooper with questions about whether the technology could be misused.

“We want to know when we’re being watched,” Daniel said.

Cooper, BSO’s top officer in Tamarac, said there were strict limits on who can access LPR data and how it can be used. Agencies can also face fines for misusing the technology.

“We have very tight restrictions,” Cooper said.

Daniel said the technology will be good for the city..

“I think it will be a deterrent because you can actually look up and see where the cameras are,” she said.

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Kevin Deutsch

Kevin Deutsch is an award-winning crime journalist and author. A graduate of Florida International University, Kevin has worked on staff at The Miami Herald, New York Daily News, and The Palm Beach Post.