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Police recommend Ricota ALPR system, citing data control and investigative value
Summary
Police staff presented a replacement ALPR option that, they say, stores data locally, limits vendor access via time‑bound keys, and can aid investigations such as hit‑and‑runs and violent crimes. Officers cited case examples where ALPR searches produced actionable leads.
At the Aug. 25 council meeting, Santa Barbara police staff described why they recommended an alternative to the expired Flock contract. Sergeant Bruno Peterson said the recommended system would place data under city control and use encryption to prevent vendor access without a time‑limited key. “La única forma en que Ricota podría acceder a nuestro sistema… tendríamos que proporcionarle una clave, y esa clave abriría la puerta a nuestros datos,” Peterson said.
Police described operational use cases: LPR results can turn a partial plate or vehicle description into a limited‑time investigative lead, helping in hit‑and‑runs, robberies and trafficking investigations. Peterson and other staff recounted specific cases—serial‑robbery and stabbing investigations—where LPR data contributed to arrests and prosecutions. Staff also outlined retention practices: unqueried raw LPR captures are deleted on a short cycle (described as 30 days) while exported evidence can be preserved up to one year.
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