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The Atherton Police Department arrested a person suspected of stealing a car on Monday morning, Aug. 19, after the stolen car was detected by the town’s network of automated license plate reader cameras.
“This morning … our (ALPR) camera system detected a vehicle that had been reported as stolen yesterday out of the City of San Mateo,” said Atherton Police Chief Steve McCulley in a town news alert. “Thanks to the swift response of our officers, the suspect driving the stolen car was apprehended shortly after the alert was received.”
Atherton police say the person was booked into the San Mateo County Jail on charges of auto theft. According to the news alert, the person was also wanted for several other outstanding felony charges, such as burglary, grand theft and assault.
There are currently 51 ALPRs placed throughout the town of Atherton, 30 of which are privately funded by Atherton residents. Atherton police first proposed installing ALPRs in the town after a string of residential burglaries that took place from November 2018 to February 2019.
Police have previously credited the town’s ALPR program for helping to reduce property crime in the town. State crime data shows that there were 125 property crimes (burglary, motor vehicle theft and larceny-theft) in Atherton in 2021, while there were only 77 in 2022 and 88 in 2023.
McCulley said in an email to this news organization that there have been 31 hits on Atherton’s ALPR system this year, six of which led to arrests or further investigation.
“The ALPR camera system is an important tool in helping to ensure the security of our Town and our residents,” said McCulley in the news alert.
McCulley said in his email that the Atherton Police Department is not currently requesting any additional cameras in town.
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