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License Plate Readers Considered for Bay Area City

In an effort to combat a recent spike in crime, the Piedmont, Calif., police chief wants automatic license plate readers installed at its borders.

Piedmont, Calif. Police Chief Rikki Goede thinks automatic license plate readers (LPRs) mounted at the 30 roads leading into and out of the city might help address the 50 percent increase in burglaries between 2011 and 2012, according to a report in ArsTechnica. Surrounded by Oakland, the affluent community of 11,000, less than two square miles in area, is largely residential.

LPRs can scan and read up to 60 license plates per second, then compare the plate numbers to lists of criminal suspects, and wanted or stolen cars. Priced at about $14,000 each, the use of LPRs by law enforcement agencies around the country has risen steadily over the past few years. Piedmont is currently waiting for a vendor proposal before presenting the LPR idea to city officials for approval.

"I think there's a good chance we will do it to some level," Goede said. "It's an investigative tool being used as a force-multiplier."

According to ArsTechnica, Piedmont would be the third U.S. city to deploy the technology at its borders. Nearby Tiburon, Calif., installed LPRs three years ago, while Sugar Land, Texas, approved the technology at its city limits in November 2012.
 
Photo courtesy of PIPS Technology

Noelle Knell is the executive editor for e.Republic, responsible for setting the overall direction for e.Republic’s editorial platforms, including Government Technology, Governing, Industry Insider, Emergency Management and the Center for Digital Education. She has been with e.Republic since 2011, and has decades of writing, editing and leadership experience. A California native, Noelle has worked in both state and local government, and is a graduate of the University of California, Davis, with majors in political science and American history.