ALPRWashington police to begin using license recognition cameras
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
By Janice Crompton, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Calling it a "dramatic advancement in law enforcement" and a "powerful tool" against the local drug trade and wanted felons, officials in Washington County this morning announced that local police departments along Route 19 will soon receive a new license plate recognition system for police cruisers.
Flanked by chiefs from six local departments, District Attorney Steven Toprani and U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, outlined details of the $100,000 system. The majority of the money for the system came from a U.S. Justice Department grant obtained by Mr. Murphy.
One police car from each department will receive a light-bar-mounted camera that will scan nearby license plates, converting the images into text and comparing them with a database that includes information about wanted criminals, Megan's Law offenders, Amber Alerts and stolen vehicles.
The participating departments, -- Peters, Cecil, Canonsburg, North Strabane, South Strabane, and the county sheriff's department -- were selected for the program because of their location along Route 19, a highly traveled artery through an emerging population center, Mr. Toprani said.
The system is the "most significant technological advancement our county ever received," said Mr. Toprani. He said the area will serve as a local test bed for the program, which may eventually expand to police departments countywide.
Mr. Toprani hopes to have the system up and running by the end of summer. The announcement was made at the North STrabane municipal building.
The system's manufacturer, Federal Signal Safety and Security Systems, said 18,000 cameras are in use in 33 countries.
First published on July 5, 2011 at 12:35 pm