Budget $60,000 for automated license plate reader system expansion

DATE: February 27, 2023 TO: Yocelyn Galiano, ICMA-CM, Village Manager FROM: Jason Cohen, Chief of Police RE: ALPR Phase 3 Recommendation. Flock Safety, a technology company based in Atlanta, GA has entered the ALPR market with a product and business model that is superior to our current Motorola / Vigilant system. They offer a hardware as a service model for $2,500 per camera per year. This cost is scheduled to be increased to $3,000 per camera on April 1st 2023 for contracts executed after that date. Our current FY 2023 budget includes $60,000 for the acoustic gunshot detection system. I am recommending that we use these funds to expand our ALPR program before the April 1st price increase ALPR systems have become a staple for police departments nationwide. Flock’s product goes beyond the traditional ALPR technology by identifying vehicles based on just the image of the vehicle captured by the cameras. It can identify color, make, model, and estimated year even if the tag is not readable. They have coined this technology “Digital Fingerprinting.” Our current ALPR system is dependent on a readable tag for the data to be searchable. Flock is the sole source provider for the patented “Digital Fingerprinting” technology and they have integrated traditional ALPR functions into their overall product solution. For budgetary consideration this will become a recurring cost so I am recommending we enter into a 4-year contract with Flock for 10 cameras. The $60,000 will cover the cost of the initial two years and will add an additional $27,500 per year in operating costs (Hardware + licensing fee) beginning in FY 2025. A four-year contact guarantees the current pricing for the duration of the contract. Longer contract terms are available. Please see the attached map of the proposed phase 3 locations (Green) along with current ALPR locations (Red and Blue).