"We want to talk about the success of these license plate readers and all that they have done," Police Chief
"Specifically, we have recovered 68 stolen cars — the value of all those vehicles was about $580,000 — 39 stolen license plates, we have made 39 felony arrests, we have seized 13 guns and also seized methamphetamine, cocaine, narcotic bills and marijuana."
One month in, police say the readers have proven their value.
Lt.
Days before
Earlier this week, police investigating a homicide had a vehicle description. The Flock system helped detectives identify the vehicle, leading to the arrest of a 17-year-old murder suspect.
"Those are just a few (notable investigations) that we've seen," Slaughter said. "The Flock license plate reader continues to yield incredibly astounding results. We are making some pretty significant arrests almost every single day. In fact, officers just got a Flock alert about an hour and a half ago and are making an arrest as we speak."
While the department has used mobile license plate readers in some patrol vehicles since 2014, the new readers are fixed to one location. They are solar-powered and can be moved relatively easily from a stoplight in one part of the city to a streetlight or telephone pole in another as crime trends change.
They are installed in 35 locations across the city, targeting high-crime areas.
"This is providing the evidence police need to solve crimes," he said. "Officers can't be everywhere at once. The good thing about what technology can do is it can be that force multiplier."
While victims may appreciate when police recover the stolen car they use to get groceries, the company wants to prevent those crimes in the first place, Thomas said.
"To us, the ultimate measure of success isn't the number of arrests made or vehicles recovered," he said. "Ultimately what it comes down to is reducing crime rates. ... It's about having safer streets."
The company, which also works with private entities to protect neighborhoods, says it prioritizes citizen privacy.
"Whenever you're dealing with technology, there will always be a question of if it's tracking my movements. The good thing with Flock Safety is it does not," Thomas said. "The footage automatically deletes. It is not stored forever."
The department follows many of the guiding principles the
Thomas said he expects the license plate readers in
"Our goal as a police department is to reduce violent crime and keep the community safe," WPD spokesman
Ramsay noted that while
"Even though technology is great," Slaughter said, "it still comes down to old fashioned police work."
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