Police to Track Traffic with Plate Scanners
By: Robert Bumsted
Updated: February 19, 2013
Fort Wayne police are investing in a new system that will automatically track your license plate on the street.
In May, two Fort Wayne police cruisers will use the system. Cameras mounted to the vehicles will continuously look for license plates on the street, and automatically run the numbers through a database.
If the system detects a plate connected to a stolen car, murder suspect or other violator, the officer will be alerted though the onboard computer system.
Chief Rusty York tells says there are at least 16 other cities in the state that use the same system. He says the tool will better allow the department to find suspects and drivers who have been issued warrants.
License plate scanners have come under scrutiny in the past by civil liberties groups who claim they are an invasion of privacy. In 2012, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit claiming the devices were unconstitutional.
In May, two Fort Wayne police cruisers will use the system. Cameras mounted to the vehicles will continuously look for license plates on the street, and automatically run the numbers through a database.
If the system detects a plate connected to a stolen car, murder suspect or other violator, the officer will be alerted though the onboard computer system.
Chief Rusty York tells says there are at least 16 other cities in the state that use the same system. He says the tool will better allow the department to find suspects and drivers who have been issued warrants.
License plate scanners have come under scrutiny in the past by civil liberties groups who claim they are an invasion of privacy. In 2012, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit claiming the devices were unconstitutional.
