Mark Johnson
We have been having remarkable success using the Town-wide Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) system since it was installed two years ago. ALPR technology provides a strong defense against criminals and assists in solving crimes and apprehending criminals after crimes are committed.
In August 2018, I was working as the supervisor for the Town’s afternoon shift and received information from a neighboring agency to be on the lookout for a man who recently committed a shooting in their city. I checked the suspect’s license plate in our ALPR system and saw that his vehicle had been coming into town near the downtown area in the late afternoon on a regular basis.
Knowing the suspect’s pattern, I was able to gather a few officers and wait for him to come back into town. Sure enough, the next day, at about the time we expected him, the man suspected of the shooting drove back into town. Coordinating with several officers, we were able to take him into custody without any use of force and without him having an opportunity to flee, which would have put the community at further risk.
I was happy to have an advantage that allowed me to prepare my team to effect the arrest of a dangerous person entering our community in the safest manner possible.