TIBURON (BCN) -- The Tiburon Town Council on Wednesday night unanimously approved the installation of still cameras that will photograph the license plates of vehicles at the town's two entry points.
Police Chief Michael Cronin has said the cameras will serve as an investigative tool for solving crimes. He spoke in favor of them again during the 80-minute discussion last night, Town Manager Peggy Curran said.
Police claim most crimes in Tiburon are committed by non-residents and that the cameras will enable police to identify potential suspects based on who enters or leaves the town around the time crimes are committed.
The idea has been discussed in Tiburon for some time, but interest in the cameras was revived by the murder of Tiburon resident Joan Rosenthal, who was found shot to death outside her home on Hilary Drive the morning of Sept. 22. The case remains unsolved.
The dozen people who spoke to the issue last night were evenly split on the issue, Curran said. Opponents were concerned about privacy issues and potential surveillance of citizens.
Four cameras will be installed on Tiburon Boulevard near Blackfield Drive and two more on Paradise Drive, Curran said.
The cameras will photograph only the rear license plate of each vehicle and not its occupants. No video will be taken and the cameras will be not be used to catch speeding and DUI violations, Curran said.
It is still not known whether the cameras will be mounted on existing utility poles owned by PG&E and street sign poles owned by Caltrans or whether city will have to erect its own poles, Curran said.
The Town Council agreed to appropriate as much as $197,000 for the project. The project would cost only about $137,000 if existing poles are used, Curran said.
The Marin County Sheriff's Office, the Association of Bay Area Governments and the cities of Tiburon and Belvedere will share in the cost of the project, Curran said.
The cameras will probably be installed in about three months, Curran said.
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