Stockton PD orders a dozen license plate reader cameras after string of home invasions
STOCKTON -- Multiple home invasions in Stockton are still under investigation, all within the last month, and soon, a new investigative technology will roll out in Stockton to help law enforcement.
License plate readers, also called by the brand name "Flock" camera system, will be added to Stockton's crime stopper toolkit.
More than a dozen cameras have been ordered, according to a spokesperson, but it's not yet known when they will be installed -- or where.
Nearby, in Tracy, Flock cameras were installed in 2022 with impacts on investigations and the ability to connect potential suspects in other parts of the state.
"Our goal ideally is to have every agency in our county to be on this type of license plate, reader, database, because criminals bounce between borders right? They bounce between here for us and Stockton based on geographically where we're located," said Timothy Bauer, Lieutenant with Tracy Police.
Right now, Tracy has around 45 cameras set up as part of the Flock camera system but is set to double that number in the next year, according to Bauer.
It only benefits cities to have this program, Bauer said, as criminal behavior doesn't stop at city lines.
In Tracy, two HOAs purchased their own Flock cameras and have them linked with the TPD system. This idea, Stockton neighbors told CBS13, is something they'd consider as suspects involved in recent home invasions are not in custody.
Year to date, Stockton has had 30 reported home invasions compared to 27 year to date, last year. In 2022, there were 45 home invasions.
