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Council approves radar/message trailers, chief says grant bars license-plate readers
Summary
Fremont council approved purchase of grant-funded traffic trailers described as “ALPR-ready,” while the police chief stressed the COPS grant prohibits buying automated license-plate‑reader equipment and community members sought an explicit on‑record restriction.
The Fremont City Council voted unanimously to approve item 2e, authorizing the purchase of trailer-mounted radar and message-board equipment funded by a COPS grant, after the police chief and community members sought clarity that the purchase would not include license-plate‑reading capabilities.
City Manager Queena Shackleford introduced staff and the item before the council returned to the previously pulled consent item. Community speaker Henry Song asked the council to place an explicit statement on the record limiting the trailers to radar speed detection, messaging and traffic analysis and prohibiting any outward surveillance capabilities or future implicit approvals of plate‑reading technology. “These traffic trailers are authorized solely for radar speed detection, messaging, traffic analysis, and that no outward capabilities included or authorized under this approval,” Song said, urging that any future expansions require separate council-level policy discussion and approval.
Police Chief Washington told the council the equipment is intended to slow drivers and reduce collisions, noting the city recorded 15 traffic fatalities in the previous year. He said the grant was written to prohibit buying automated license-plate‑reader (ALPR) technology with these funds and that the trailers being purchased are hardware‑ready in the sense that additional equipment could be added later but that the current purchase includes only message boards and radar speed detection. “The grant specifically states that you, we cannot use this grant funding for ALPR technology,” Chief Washington said. He also noted Fremont already operates some plate‑reading and red‑light camera systems under comprehensive policies and state limits on data sharing.
Council members discussed whether additional wording was needed in the motion; staff and the chief said the grant terms embed the restriction, and the motion was ultimately made with green-sheet corrections and carried unanimously. The council did not record any roll-call opposition or abstentions.
The council’s approval authorizes the procurement as described; staff indicated that any future requests to add license‑plate‑reading hardware or expand the trailers’ capabilities would come back to the council for separate policy consideration.
The motion to approve item 2e passed unanimously. The council moved on to committee reports and adjourned later in the meeting.
