Letters to the Editor 7-18-19
Security not surveillance Dear ER: It is important for your readers and Manhattan Beach residents to know that the Manhattan Beach Police Department does not use “surveillance cameras” (“Manhattan Beach surveillance cameras increase arrests, raise concerns,” ER July 4, 2019). MBPD is not “surveilling” anyone. Never have, never will. Quite frankly, the use of the term “surveillance cameras” is entirely misleading, suggesting you really would have “Big Brother” watching you, with someone monitoring the surveillance camera. MBPD uses “security cameras” with automated license plate reader (“ALPR”) technology. This is a critically important distinction. MBPD’s program is administered by a private vendor with alerts being sent to MBPD officers when there is a “hit” on a vehicle, such as a stolen car or other criminal predicate. To date, MBPD’s ALPR security camera program has resulted in 100 felony arrests. Our Chief of Police and MBPD firmly believe that this program is a force multiplier and their number one crime fighting tool. Further, MBPD and the City of Manhattan Beach have protocols in place with their vendor to protect the privacy of data collected and, in fact, such data is…
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