INDIANAPOLIS--The Indianapolis Metro Police Dept. has already used license plate readers to help solve crimes and make arrests. Now the department plans to have 244 of them working throughout the city in just a few weeks.
One of the devices was used to track down the man accused of shooting three Dutch soldiers in downtown Indianapolis two weekends ago.
“License plate readers were very effective in that case and continue to be,” said IMPD Commander Matthew Thomas, who weeks ago introduced new camera technology being used by the department. He said the license plate readers or “lprs” are part of a layered approach.
“On top of that community collaboration and our public safety camera systems,” he said, during a Tuesday press conference.
The readers will be mounted on poles and stop lights in every district. There will also be some on top of patrol vehicles.
“The photographs are continually being taken, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and stored on a server,” said Thomas. “In order for an investigator to access that data, you need a criminal predicate. You need for a crime to have been committed to research that information.”
Both Thomas and Mayor Joe Hogsett said they believe the readers are part of crime-fighting efforts that are working.
The readers are being paid for with American Rescue Plan money.
