Pearland City Council at its March 7 regular meeting in a 5-1 vote approved the second reading of an ordinance that provides $441,000 in funding for additional police technology to support the police department. Council Member Adrian Hernandez was the sole opposing vote.
“We are trying to keep bad actors out of the city,” Council Member Alex Kamkar said.
The funds will go toward purchasing 21 Flock Automated License Plate Reader cameras, which are solar-powered, high-tech cameras that can process 30,000 vehicles per day and help the city’s police department match vehicles for investigations of major crimes and help find crime trends, according to agenda documents.
Additionally, Pearland police will have access to data with other neighboring cities that also use Flock cameras and help with regional safety concerns, according to city staff. They will not be used to fine and target people for traffic violations, Kamkar said.
“We are not trying to generate revenue for traffic stops,” Kamkar said.
The funds will also go to software needed to operate the cameras effectively, and also $65,000 is designated for drones and other unmanned aircraft systems. A portion of the $441,000 approved is also for a future community grant program, said Joshua Lee, the city of Pearland's director of communications.
According to agenda documents, Pearland police identified multiple locations to place the Flock ALPR cameras.
Pearland has identified nine locations that are first priority, which are located at the entrances into the city at the Shadow Creek Parkway entrance, three locations along Hwy. 288, two along Hwy. 35 near the border with Houston and also south near Alvin, and lastly east near the border with Friendswood, agenda documents show.
It will take between four to six weeks for the city of Pearland and Flock personnel to install the cameras at designated locations, agenda documents read.
“I think it is going to be a good program for the city,” Council Member Luke Orlando said.
