Council approves ShotSpotter sound‑detection and license‑plate camera procurement after legal review

The Bellflower City Council approved a vendor agreement for a combined gunshot‑detection and license‑plate camera system on Sept. 22 after extended legal and policy discussion. Council members and the city attorney focused on indemnification and data‑sharing provisions before voting to move forward.

The procurement package covered two technologies: a sound‑detection system (marketed by the vendor SoundThinking/ShotSpotter) to alert officials to suspected gunfire, and a license‑plate‑reading camera system (PlateRanger) for vehicle identification. Staff said the vendors provide real‑time alerts to public‑safety personnel and that the products are already in use in nearby jurisdictions (Pico Rivera, Lakewood and Hawaiian Gardens). Several neighboring cities had accepted similar contract language, staff said.

City Attorney (Mister Berger) raised concerns about transferring legal risk and the contract’s indemnification and limitation‑of‑liability language, noting that the technology is privately controlled and runs on public property. Berger advised that the city’s preferred risk posture is to have the vendor assume most liability; he reported he had proposed striking indemnification language entirely as a compromise, but that the vendor rejected that change during negotiations. The attorney also noted state law restrictions on sharing license‑plate data under certain circumstances and emphasized the difficulty of enforcing vendor compliance with data‑sharing limitations until a dispute arises.

Staff described contract provisions that require vendor compliance with applicable laws, including California restrictions on sharing license‑plate data. Staff also said the vendor has a court‑admissible evidence function and that SoundThinking provides investigator testimony supporting their data if required for prosecutions — a technical feature the city finds valuable. Several council members said they judged the operational benefits worth the potential legal risk, and staff noted the agreement includes a 60‑day termination clause should the city later seek an alternative vendor.

After discussion, Council member [motion maker] moved to approve the procurement; the motion passed on a 5‑0 roll call with Santinez, Coops, Morse, Sanchez and Mayor Dutton voting aye. Several council members asked staff to monitor other jurisdictions and vendor behavior and to return with any improvements in contract language if alternatives emerge.

Staff said the contract will be implemented subject to vendor compliance and monitoring; the city attorney said that, while not ideal from a risk‑transfer perspective, similar provisions had been accepted by other jurisdictions. Council members indicated support for deploying the tools to assist public safety while being mindful of privacy and legal compliance.