Welcome new residents!
The Birchwood Civic Association (BCA) has heard strong concern by the East Birchwood community about crime, house burglaries, and vehicle thefts. The BCA is proposing to partner with the community to rent, install and operate 20 License Plate Readers (LPRs) on poles in East Birchwood for at least 1 year.
Who:
A joint effort by the BCA and the residents of East Birchwood.
What:
A proposal to rent, install and operate 20 License Plate Readers from Flock Safety. There are 10 entrances and exits in East Birchwood. For each entrance and exit, we propose to install 1 LPR facing each way. These 20 cameras would take photos of the license plates of vehicles entering and exiting an intersection, to enhance the security of residents and to deter burglars and criminals.
When:
Installation date goal: First quarter of 2023.
Where:
All 10 entrances and exits in East Birchwood (excluding The Manors development). Here is a map:
Why:
At the October 11, 2022 community meeting in the auditorium of Jackson Elementary School, the BCA heard the residents of East Birchwood say they want to be better protected against crime. These LPRs will help deter crime and track down the license plates of criminals. In East Birchwood, Jericho, Nassau County, Suffolk County and other areas, there has been a dramatic increase in home burglaries, vehicle thefts, and other crimes. In East Birchwood, for example, there was a home invasion on Forest Drive in June 2022, a home burglary on Hazelwood Drive in August 2022; two BMWs were stolen from Hazelwood Drive in August 2022; and a home burglary on Hightop Lane in February 2022. There have been many other crimes.
What are the benefits of license plate reader cameras?
Are these cameras or video cameras?
These are license plate reader cameras, not video cameras.
Who is paying for this project?
The BCA proposes to fund this project 50% / 50% with the community. The estimated cost for year 1 of the project is $70,000. If the community raises 50% of the funds needed to operate the cameras for the first year ($35,000), the BCA will match that amount ($35,000).
How can I help?
Your financial contribution is needed! The BCA suggests a contribution of $100 per household per year, although any amount is appreciated. You can also help by informing your neighbors about this project.
What methods of payments are accepted?
Please send your contributions via any of these methods:
· GoFundMe Website (www.gofundme.com/f/help-fund-east-birchwoods-license-plate-readers). GoFundMe.com will levy a small transaction fee per contribution.
· Mail physical checks to the BCA for this project (Birchwood Civic Association, P.O. Box 102, Jericho, New York, 11753). Please include your name and address and specify that your contribution is for the 2023 License Plate Readers project (to separate it from the BCA annual dues campaign).
Why should I help? Why does this matter to me?
As a resident, we are all affected by crime. Nothing is more important than the safety of our family, our homes, and our community. Don’t let criminals invade your home or steal your car. Unfortunately, it has happened to many of our neighbors.
If you make a financial contribution to this LPR project and you are not a BCA member, you will receive a free 2023 BCA membership!
How long is the fundraising period?
The initial fundraising period will be early 2023.
What are the costs for the first year?
To launch the project for 20 cameras for one year, approximately $68,660 will be needed. To cover any minor, unanticipated expenses, we should aim to raise $70,000. For details, see the “Costs – Details” subhead below.
What if the funds raised are insufficient?
If the community does not raise 50% of the funds, this project will be abandoned and all the contributions collected will be sent back to the contributors in the manner in which you contributed.
What if the public raises more than the target amount?
On the other hand, if the public raises more than $35,000, the additional funds will be stored for year 2 of the project.
Is this a “locked box” situation?
Yes, the funds raised for this project will ONLY be used for this LPR project and for no other purpose.
When is the decision date?
In February 2023, the BCA will tally up the contributions.
A) If the public contributes $35,000, the BCA will contribute $35,000, and the project will move forward. If the public contributes more than $35,000, the surplus amount will be used for year 2 of this project.
B) If the public contributes less than 50%, the project will be abandoned and all the contributions collected will be sent back to the contributors.
Isn’t 1 camera per entrance enough?
No. Some states only require rear license plates, while New York State requires front and rear plates. By installing 2 cameras at each entrance, we increase the coverage and odds of photographing every license plate of vehicles entering and exiting East Birchwood.
How will criminals be deterred?
If the LPRs are installed, we will buy large, noticeable signs to place near the LRP poles at our entrances to state in a friendly way “SMILE! Your license plate is being photographed.” This will hopefully have a deterrent effect on criminals. The signs will also remind residents on how they can contribute to the project. For example:
Who can access the database of license plates photographed?
As a client, the BCA and the residents own the photos. The BCA will receive a log in as the account administrator for Flock Safety’s client portal, which will store photos of license plates from all of our cameras for 30 days.
If a member of the community needs to obtain photos from the database, the BCA will give a temporary guest log in for Flock Safety’s client portal for a fixed time period (for example, 3 hours) so the community member can search for and download the license plate photos from the database.
If a crime occurs, how can these cameras help?
A resident should call the Nassau County Police Department (NCPD). The NCPD can log into Flock Safety’s client portal and view any of the photos of license plates from any of the 20 cameras to look for suspicious vehicles or vehicles that match the description given by the resident.
The Flock Safety software uses artificial intelligence and allows the police to search by vehicle body style and any distinguishing accessories. For example, even if the resident cannot describe a green 2020 four-door Toyota Camry as the getaway car, if the resident can describe it as a sedan with a roof rack and a rear bumper sticker, the police can search by sedan, roof rack and bumper sticker and the results will narrow down the number of photos for the police to investigate.
The police will need to investigate crimes. The BCA will let the police do the policing. The BCA will not have a role. If funding is raised for this project, the BCA will coordinate the setup of the LPRs with the NCPD. Flock Safety employees do not have the ability to forward photos to the NCPD.
Can you show the calculation of the costs in detail?
Yes. Flock Safety is offering a 2-year contract. For each camera, the rental cost is $2,400 annually, plus a 1-time implementation fee of $300. With sales tax, the subtotal for 20 cameras is $58,660 for the first year. However, there is an early termination fee (uninstall fee) of $500 per camera (total of $10,000) if we end the contract before 24 months. We need to include this uninstall fee into our first year costs, just in case we end the program prematurely. With the uninstall fee, the sum needed for year 1 is $68,660. To cover any minor, unanticipated expenses, we should aim to raise $70,000. If the community raises 50% of the funds needed to operate the cameras for the first year ($35,000), the BCA will match that amount ($35,000).
If we do not end the contract prior to 24 months, the early termination fee that we collected will be used for year 2 of this project. Any additional funds raised will be stored for future years or returned.
Can we build a list of “accepted” license plates?
Yes, the BCA can build a database of “accepted” or non-suspicious license plates of vehicles owned by homeowners of East Birchwood and their friends, landscapers, contractors, business associates, acquaintances, etc. Residents can voluntarily send their plate information to a shared file. We can give this “accepted license plate list” to the NCPD, to reduce the number of license plates they need to check if a crime occurs.
Is the system completely passive?
No. The cameras will be synchronized to the FBI's National Crime Information Center list that is updated every four hours. If a car with a plate number that is on that list is read by our cameras, it will send an alert directly to the Nassau County Police Department.
What are the costs for the second year?
For year 2, the total cost will be less: $62,142, since there will be no implementation fee. If the public contributes 50% ($31,071), the BCA will contribute 50%. The same 50% / 50% arrangement applies for future years.
Are town permits required?
Yes. Flock Safety will help our group file for permits from the Town of Oyster Bay.
Have LPRs been used successfully in other cities?
Yes. Police agencies on Long Island use LPRs. For example, the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office uses 25 LPRs and the Suffolk County Police Department also uses 25 LPRs. A sergeant from the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office stated LPRs are very effective in tracking down the license plates of criminals. London and New York City have used LPRs for many years.
What is the name of the vendor?
A company called Flock Safety (https://www.flocksafety.com/products/flock-cameras) rents and operates LPRs. While they rent LPRs, they do not sell LPRs.
Besides LPRs, what can I do for protection?
Residents should consider using multiple layers of security. LPRs are only one layer of security. Homeowners should start with the basic layers: Lock the doors of your house and vehicles, take your wallet, smartphone and valuables out of your vehicles, turn on your house’s interior and driveway lights at night, etc. The Nassau County Police Department has tips for securing your home and safeguarding your vehicle at https://www.pdcn.org/326/Protect-Your-Property. Our community could also consider adding more layers of security, including hiring a security patrol.
Where can I find additional information?
Here is a video from Flock Safety with testimonials from users: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FllASA8Jaec
Flock Safety’s website: https://www.flocksafety.com/products/flock-cameras.
Their Website has a case study of a neighborhood in Indiana that installed their LPRs (also known as Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) cameras). Their Website has a sell sheet that shows the effectiveness of their LPRs.
If you have additional questions, please send an email to: BirchwoodCivicLPR@Gmail.com.
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We hope you will financially contribute to make East Birchwood safer. Please send your contributions via any of these methods:
· GoFundMe Website (www.gofundme.com/f/help-fund-east-birchwoods-license-plate-readers). GoFundMe.com will levy a small transaction fee per contribution.
· Mail physical checks to the BCA for this project (Birchwood Civic Association, P.O. Box 102, Jericho, New York, 11753). Please include your name and address and to specify that their contribution is for the 2023 License Plate Readers project (to separate it from the BCA annual dues campaign).
Thank you,
The Birchwood Civic Association