Automated license plate reader cameras in Santa Maria and Lompoc have put the brakes on vehicle thefts, according to annual reports from the two cities’ police departments.

During a presentation on the Santa Maria Police Department’s annual report for 2024, Cmdr. Dan Cohen spoke about the impact of installing the cameras around the city. 

He dubbed the addition “one of our most effective tools in our crime-fighting arsenal.”

Lompoc Police Chief Kevin Martin echoed the impact of the camera program during a similar presentation earlier this year.

In late 2021, Santa Maria launched the automated license plate camera program after the City Council approved spending $240,000 for the first cameras. Today, Santa Maria has 31 cameras funded by the city, 104 paid through a federal grant and 20 through partnerships with local businesses. 

In two years, the cameras have supported more than 1,300 investigations, leading to 474 arrests and the recovery of 418 stolen vehicles, Cohen said. 

“They’ve been instrumental in solving serious crimes, including murders, robberies, carjackings and sexual assaults, many of which likely wouldn’t have been solved without this technology,” said Cohen, who filled in as interim police chief for several months.  

“The impact is most visible in auto theft trends,” Cohen said while referring to a graph showing the drop. “Santa Maria once averaged over 1,000 stolen vehicles annually.”

Vehicle thefts peaked in 2022 at 1,152 as the camera program revved up in Santa Maria. 

Two years later, the number dropped to 424 in 2024, or a 59% decrease. In 2023, the city had 751 motor vehicle thefts.

“This program is a true force multiplier, delivering results that far exceed the investment,” Cohen added. 

In Lompoc, car thefts totaled 281 in 2023 and 153 in 2024, according to the annual report unveiled in April.

“What’s changed is the Flock camera system has really contributed to our ability to locate and recover the stolen vehicles,” Martin said. “It also is a reflection of us having more police officers on the streets. It syncs together, and that’s the results you get when we’re able to have that technology plus the bodies to go out and investigate.”

The cameras, some funded by Lompoc and others through partnerships, have led to the recovery of stolen vehicles and even arrests.

“Sometimes they’re occupied, and sometimes they’re not,” Martin said. 

Lompoc also has a Flock trailer that allows police to strategically place a camera. That system helped when an out-of-town crime ring struck a chain store in the city. 

Using the camera, police put out details of the suspects’ vehicle, which was spotted by Santa Maria police outside the same chain store in their city, leading to arrests.

Last year marked significant technology improvements for the Santa Maria police — “all focused on safety, transparency and efficiency,” Cohen said. 

“We completed our first full year with body-worn cameras, which have already proven essential for evidence gathering, deescalation and public trust,” Cohen said. 

Lompoc’s chief said the addition of body-worn cameras also increased the agency’s transparency. 

The Santa Maria Police Department’s annual report can be found by clicking here. 

The Lompoc Police Department’s annual report for 2024 can be found by clicking here.