Long Beach Briefs: License Plate Readers Bill and New LBPD Position

New License Plate Readers Bill

LONG BEACH — Long Beach Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal May 26 authored Assembly Bill 1463, sponsored by Oakland Privacy. AB1463 would do three things:

1) Ban the sharing of California license plate scans with out of state law enforcementplate-readera agencies without a court order or a warrant issued by a California court.

2) Strengthen auditing requirements for license plate reader programs.

3) Limit cloud database retention of scans not associated with any crime to 30 days.

Automated License Plate Reader systems are ubiquitous in California. 80% or more of California cities and counties stick these high-speed cameras on street lights or police vehicles to snap up the license plate numbers of all passing cars. 

These images with the time and location they were recorded are mass-uploaded to databases in the cloud, where hundreds and sometimes thousands of law enforcement agencies, including red state sheriffs hunting down people getting reproductive or gender-affirming medical care, can query location information on any car, sometimes going back as long as five years.

Assemblymember Lowenthal said in a free and democratic society, or one that makes such claims, there is no reason for the government to keep a vast database of our movements through public space for years. 

LBPD Creates New Community Services Assistant Position

LONG BEACH— The Long Beach Police Department or LBPD has announced the creation of the Community Services Assistant or CSA position. As part of the LBPD Community Services Bureau, the CSA team will further the department’s efforts to enhance community safety and support patrol operations.

In the FY22 budget, the department created the Community Services Assistant position, a non-sworn position that will support law enforcement functions previously performed by sworn personnel. Starting May 22, CSAs will begin a 120-hour classroom training that will prepare them for their role in responding to non-emergency calls for service. CSAs will respond to “Priority 3” or non-emergency calls for service for situations that do not require the specialized training or equipment of a sworn police officer. This includes the following call types: non-injury traffic collisions, blocked driveways, noise complaints and robbery and burglary reports where the suspect(s) is not on scene, among others.

These CSAs will have equipment and training specific to their role. When CSAs respond to calls for service, the community can expect the same level of courtesy and professionalism our sworn officers display every day. Contrary to the traditional police uniform and black and white patrol vehicle, CSAs will respond to calls for service in white, city-decaled vehicles, while wearing a gray polo shirt and black pants.