License Plate Readers Secured for Putnam Sheriff’s Dept.
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The Putnam County Sheriff’s Department has been awarded $74,000 in state grant funding toward the purchase of automated license plate readers.
The automated license plate readers (ALPRs), whether mounted in vehicles or on stationary poles, are specialized digital cameras and computers that scan the license plates of vehicles passing by, and note the date, time, and location. The accompanying software then quickly compares the uploaded license plate information with data from law enforcement agencies and offers near-instant notifications of whether a vehicle is linked to an investigation.
The money was secured by State Senator Pete Harckham.
“Our public safety professionals require state-of-the-art tools and resources to protect our residents and fight crime,” said Harckham. “License plate readers offer high-tech assistance in tracking down individuals in question, locating missing persons and stopping human trafficking.”
The funding will provide 12 Putnam Sheriff’s Department patrol vehicles with the license plate reading technology. Law enforcement officials generally use ALPRs to identify vehicles that are stolen, associated with an outstanding warrant or part of an Amber Alert (missing child) or Silver Alert (missing senior citizens).
“License plate readers have proven to be invaluable for both the law enforcement and public, especially when one considers the case of an older individual that has driven from home and become confused and lost,” said Putnam County Sheriff Kevin McConville. “The ability for law enforcement to search multiple roadways for this person’s vehicle and locate the missing person before a tragedy occurs is made easier with license plate readers.”
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/