License Plate Hunter Aids Police

Police departments across the country are using an electronic camera system called the Mobile Plate Hunter to help locate stolen vehicles, cars used in crimes and the cars of drivers with suspended or revoked licenses. The system uses two infrared cameras to scan license plates and, at a clip of 15 to 25 per second, determine if the plates match any in a police database. 

One department claims it’s finding 40 flagged plates a day using the $22,000 system, versus “just a few” per day before. There are objections from civil rights groups about the tracking capability of the systems, but 220 police departments are already using it nationwide. Hopefully Hollywood and Beverly Hills police will camp a couple of these to look out for any probation-marked celebrities.   

Police Scan Cars Using High-Tech Cameras (Newsday)

Comments

[Juan Carlos]

in england an officer at one exit scans every plate and another officer down the road stops the car.

[J]

But that creates traffic congestion.