Local law enforcement could soon have an extra tool to help battle crime.
The City of Galesburg is considering the implementation of a new automated license plate recognition system to help track down cars involved in crimes. The program will be discussed at a work session of the Galesburg City Council at 6 p.m. Monday in City Hall.
According to Galesburg Police Chief Russ Idle, license plate reader (LPR) cameras are able to recognize a license plate as it drives past the camera. The license plates are then logged into the system with the date and time that the vehicle was at that location. No other information about the vehicle is recorded other than the license plate.
The cameras can be connected to the state LEADS (Law Enforcement Agencies Data Systems) system to check “hot files” — meaning that the plate would be flagged by the system if the vehicle is stolen.
Idle said LPR cameras have ben in use for many years, but are now becoming more common. He said they are currently used in Peoria, Quincy and the Quad Cities.
The cameras, according to Idle, can be placed on poles in public intersections or attached to a squad car and used while in the public domain.
“There are not used at any location where a person would have an expectation of privacy,” he said.
Idle added, “Many times when a crime occurs, the police obtain a vehicle description to include a license plate. This information can be input into the LPR to determine if the vehicle is seen on a camera, and what cameras the vehicle has driven past recently.
“Our police department would be connected to the other agencies listed above so those locations would be checked for the suspect vehicle as well.”
Idle noted LPR cameras have been useful in solving many crimes including motor vehicle theft, robberies and gun crimes.
More information on the automated license plate readers will be provided at Monday’s City Council work session.
