SHERMAN OAKS—Homeowners in Sherman Oaks’ Valley Vista neighborhood have launched a new safety regimen that involves scanning every vehicles license plate passing through the area in the event of a crime. The neighborhood acted after authorities informed residents “time after time” that the only feasible way to catch a suspect of a crime traveling by car is by obtaining their license plate number.
Pamela Dougherty, local real estate agent residing in the neighborhood, gained permission from other residents to launch Flock Safety cameras in the early summer, KCAL9 reported. Local homeowner Robert Shontell paid for the license plate readers to be installed at both entry points onto Davana Road, as he reported to KCAL9 that over 600 cars pass through daily.
Flock Safety reported that their cameras have reduced crime in United States neighborhoods by 30-50 percent with their discreet designs. Images of license plates can be captured when vehicles travel up to 55 mph, day or night, and up to 75 feet away. Flock Safety cameras seek to eliminate unsolved crimes in neighborhoods, as they report that 87.5 percent of nonviolent community crime goes unsolved.
Shontell also informed KCAL9 that once images of license plates are captured, they are uploaded onto a secure server that only local residents can access for privacy reasons. If a resident becomes a victim to a crime, they can request a search of every vehicle that passed through the neighborhood on the specific date and time requested.
Canyon News reached out to homeowners responsible for the crime watch, but did not hear back before print.
