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Cerritos keeps ALPR trailer after residents report drop in burglaries; council approves expanded crime-abatement steps
Summary
After residents reported zero burglaries near Liberty Park since a live-feed ALPR trailer was deployed, the council agreed by consensus to keep the trailer in place, asked staff to study adding more trailers to the FY25–26 budget, and directed an immediate increase in budgeted community safety officers from 3 to 5 while commissioning traffic and outreach studies before any permanent street closures.
Cerritos leaders on March 27 responded to neighborhood safety concerns by directing staff to keep a live-feed license-plate-reader (ALPR) trailer deployed near Liberty Park while further evaluation proceeds and to include additional ALPR units and staffing in next year’s budget planning.
Public Safety Manager Daryl Evans told the council the ALPR/live-feed trailer had been placed at the Bigelow entrance on Feb. 7 and that the neighborhood had experienced no reported burglaries since its placement. Evans described the trailer as a “deluxe” model providing live video and AI-based alerts; staff said the current contract for the monitored trailer is about $3,000 per month (about $100 per day) with potential options to reduce costs by switching to ALPR-only, non-live configurations.
Deputy City staff and Public Works Director Alvin Papa cautioned the council that closing a single access street to a residential tract could increase emergency-response distances. The California Joint Powers Insurance Authority recommended a full traffic study and public outreach before any closure; Papa estimated the cost for temporary control measures and barricade installation for a single location at roughly $28,000–$50,000, plus a traffic study of about $3,500–$4,500.
Council took multiple actions and directions: - By consensus the council asked staff to keep the live-feed ALPR trailer at its current Bigelow location while testing continues. - Council asked staff to analyze and include the number of additional ALPR/live-feed trailers needed in the FY25–26 budget and to report back on possible volume discounts if multiple units are procured. - The council gave consensus direction to increase budgeted Community Safety Officers (CSOs) from 3 to 5 immediately and to include CSO staffing and volunteer/reserve-deputy expansion in the upcoming budget review. - A motion by Mayor Pro Tem Johnson to "receive and file" the staff report and proceed with continuous crime-abatement measures passed 5–0. Separately, for another neighborhood (Morning Sun/Spinnaker) the council voted 4–0 (one abstention) to require a JPIA-guided traffic study and extensive outreach prior to any temporary or permanent street closures; staff offered to reallocate a Phase 3 ALPR planned for a freeway off-ramp to Phase 2 (166 & Studebaker) if council desired.
Resident voices shaped the discussion. Susie Vigil and neighbors presented a petition (174 of 205 homes in one tract) asking for permanent cameras at both entrances rather than a one-entrance closure; others said closing an entrance could impede paramedic and fire access. Bruce Leach said he opposed closures for life-safety reasons; Yasmin Cortez and residents from Morning Sun asked for a four-month temporary closure trial to evaluate crime impact.
What it costs and next steps: The deployed live-feed trailer is currently $3,000/month as configured (live monitoring and AI). Staff will return with cost scenarios for additional trailers (including ALPR-only, non-live options), traffic-study proposals, and budget recommendations for the FY25–26 cycle. Council asked staff to consider reassigning a planned Phase 3 ALPR to priority Phase 2 residential locations.
Attribution: Staff presentations by Public Safety Manager Daryl Evans and Public Works Director Alvin Papa; council direction by Mayor Yokoyama and Mayor Pro Tem Johnson; resident testimony by Susie Vigil, Bruce Leach, Mel Cortez and others.
