The city of El Monte approved the purchase of nearly $500,000 in new technology for its police department, including 38 automated license plate readers to be placed in the city.
“The city is committed to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of our police department by investing in additional technology assets to increase public safety,” said El Monte City Manager Alma Martinez.
The total cost of the new technology will be $499,300.
The city will use funds from the American Rescue Plan Act and the Assets Forfeiture Fund (AFF), Martinez said.
“These purchases can be supported and funded without creating a fiscal impact on the city budget,” Martinez added.
The automatic license plate readers are advanced camera systems that will be strategically placed at entry and exit points and major intersections in the city. The cameras capture license plate numbers along with the date, time and location.
The City of El Monte will provide a Guaranteed Income Program for low income families or residents.
Authorities also authorized the purchase of four Raven Audio gunshot detection devices, which can detect gunshots and identify the source of the sound. The devices work with automatic license plate readers and will help El Monte police officers respond to calls for service.
“These advanced technologies will significantly improve our ability to prevent and investigate crime, which will help us keep our community safe,” said El Monte Police Chief Jake Fisher.