Hollister police might buy first license plate reader

The Hollister Police Department is looking to use grant funds to buy the city’s first automated license plate reader.
The Hollister City Council on Monday is set to consider approving the $22,477 expense. It comes after the police department requested quotes from three companies, with the lowest responsible bid being the $22,477 estimate from Federal Signal Corp., according to a staff report.
The license plate readers are becoming increasingly popular for law enforcement agencies. The cameras can scan the plates and run them through an array of databases to pinpoint potential criminals.
The funds for Hollister’s license plate reader come from a 2009 CalGRIP grant, with none of the money from the general fund, according to the staff report. That four-camera system – one of the three companies’ quotes actually came in lower than Federal Signal’s, but for a two-camera system – will be installed in a marked patrol car.
The police department noted in the report that Gilroy and Morgan Hill’s departments also are using license plate readers from Federal Signal, which is working to integrate the surrounding areas’ systems to amplify their effectiveness, according to the city.
The council meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Hollister City Hall, 375 Fifth St.