Crime-fighting trash tracks could soon become reality for one Northern California city.
The San Jose City Council’s rules and open government committee has approved further exploration of a controversial plan to equip city trash trucks with license plate readers. Wednesday’s vote was 4 to 1 with Council Member Chappie Jones dissenting.
Like other privacy advocates, Jones has lambasted the idea as an Orwellian intrusion into the lives of city residents. But Mayor Sam Liccardo, along wth Council Members Johnny Khamis and Raul Peralez, have called it a highly efficient way to curb vehicle theft within San Jose.
A typical police officer can reach each street within their patrol district within one month, whereas trash truck drivers can cover the same ground every week, Police Deputy Chief Dave Knopf said. Knopf said he too was supportive of the plan, particularly since the department is currently working to increase its staffing levels.
City officials will now examine the proposal’s feasibility, along with any potential legal questions involved. In the meantime, the city has already set aside $68,400 for the purchase of two additional police license plate readers as part of its fiscal year 2015-2016.
Read more about the proposal here.
Image Credit: Flickr User 34316967@N04, https://flic.kr/p/8ShaZCvia (CC BY-ND 2.0)