This Wednesday, the Council voted unanimously to approve my initiative (CF 14-0422) to upgrade the City’s Automated Traffic Surveillance and Control (ATSAC) system. While our ATSAC system is being upgraded, through my effort (CF 13-0486), the City is taking advantage of the current technology to enhance our public safety efforts.
Advances in technology are continuing to provide new tools to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) to fight crime and keep communities safe as well. LAPD's ability to capture and review video footage ranges from surveillance cameras maintained by LAPD that target high-crime areas to automatic license-plate-recognition systems (ALPRs), small cameras mounted on patrol cars that scan license plates for stolen vehicles and help monitor the movements of wanted felons and sexual predators.
To enhance the benefits of the current technology possessed by LAPD and Department of Transportation, the City will be integrating these two systems through a split-feed and adding digital video recording and storage capability. This will enable LAPD to access recorded video footage for gathering key evidence, identifying suspects and their vehicles, and many other important benefits.
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Today all 4,600 signalized intersections in the City are part of the ATSAC system, which also includes over 500 closed-circuit traffic cameras and 35 changeable message signs. The ATSAC system is used on a daily basis to monitor and manage traffic throughout the City. During special events and emergencies, the ATSAC system is part of the Department Operation Center (DOC) and works with the Emergency Management Department and field command posts to coordinate and manage all response activities. Integral to this function is the use of the traffic camera system to assess field conditions and deploy resources in an emergency. Additionally, traffic cameras are used by other departments to coordinate incident response. Changeable message signs are used to inform the public of closures, detours, incidents and emergency information, such as Amber Alerts.
-Mitchell Englander, Chair of the Public Safety Committee
