Use of license plate readers by N.J. police increasing
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 1, 2012, 1:03 PM
BY LEE PROCIDA
AP/THE PRESS OF ATLANTIC CITY
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SEA ISLE CITY — A camera mounted to a lamppost on the Sea Isle Boulevard Bridge has taken a picture of every license plate leaving the island for the past two years.
The information is transmitted to a computer at the nearby Police Department, where officers use it to monitor for stolen vehicles and suspected criminals, or keep it to be used in a potential future case.
The automated license plate reader, or ALPR, is a technology that is growing in use locally and throughout the world as a way to dramatically expand the reach of police investigations. Cameras essentially take photographs of passing vehicles and use software to extract the license plate numbers — data that can then be used to automatically search police databases for any issues with that vehicle or its registered owner.
“It’s a very, very good tool when you deploy it right,” said Sea Isle City police Lt. Kirk Rohrer, who has used the system for several successful investigations.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/Use_of_license_plate_readers_by_NJ_police_increasing.html