San Juan Capistrano advances parking plate readers

San Juan Capistrano City Council members voted 4-1 to move ahead with license plate reader cameras for downtown parking enforcement, Voice of OC reported Tuesday.

The proposal would expand local use of automated license plate technology as Orange County cities face questions over privacy, oversight and public safety uses of the systems.

According to Voice of OC, cameras mounted on parking enforcement vehicles would scan license plates to check compliance with parking rules, measure how long vehicles remain in spaces through "virtual chalking" and gather data on parking use.

Julie Dixon, president and founder of Dixon Resources Unlimited, said, "Your license plate becomes your credential," Voice of OC reported. Dixon also described the process as "virtual chalking."

The broader parking program includes new parking enforcement jobs, revisions to time limits and improvements to downtown access, according to Voice of OC. San Juan Capistrano already has 20 Flock cameras at city parks, facilities and traffic signals, after installing 10 in 2022 and 10 more in 2023.

Councilmember Howard Hart questioned whether the technology would solve downtown parking concerns. "Who is this serving? Who is this making it easier to park downtown?" Hart asked during the Sept. 1 meeting, according to Voice of OC. He also asked, "Are we really making a difference on the macro-level?"

Councilmember Sergio Farias, who voted no, raised legal concerns about the procurement. "Are you comfortable — if the city council went forward with this technology procurement — that we would be able to set it up in a way that we would not see lawsuits?" Farias asked City Attorney Jeffrey Ballinger, according to Voice of OC. Ballinger said, "I would feel comfortable with this kind of technology from a legal perspective,"

Voice of OC reported that other Orange County cities have expanded similar systems. Costa Mesa operates 46 Flock automated license plate readers, Orange renewed a Flock contract worth more than $350,000 earlier this year and Anaheim approved $735,000 for 72 additional license plate readers.

City staff is expected to seek formal proposals from providers before any parking enforcement plan takes effect, according to Voice of OC.