In An Effort To Reduce Crime, More And More Houston-Area Communities Use License Plate Readers

Police departments that use automated license plate readers report an increase in solved crimes, but should people worry about their privacy?

By Florian MartinFebruary 24, 2020 9:55 am, , , ,

From Houston Public Media:

The Memorial Villages Police Department covers three small cities: Piney Point, Bunker Hill and Hunters Creek Village. They are entirely surrounded by the city of Houston, just south of the Katy Freeway and east of Beltway 8.

“There’s only 27 ways in and out of the Villages,” says Chief Ray Schultz, who heads the small police department, which is 40 officers strong.

He says most crimes that happen here, which aren’t many to begin with, are done by outsiders. That’s why his department has installed 20 “automated license plate readers” by the company Flock Safety at different spots throughout the community. The cameras record the back of every car that passes.

 

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