There are not too many feelings that are similar to the one that surges through your body when you see police lights behind you. Coming from someone who knows, being pulled over usually isn’t a good thing and today, motorists doing anything illegal in Grand Rapids, Mich. may want to steer clear of the road.
That is because the police department is now leveraging four fully automated license plate recognition systems that are using innovative technology to quickly scan license plates using cameras. The plates are immediately run through databases where cops can then see if the vehicles passing them by are registered to people who shouldn’t be driving at all. It can also significantly improve the amount of parking tickets being paid because you will get immediately pulled over if your plate is red flagged.
According to the CBS Detroit website, “The equipment can read approximately 5,000 license plates per shift, increasing the efficiency, safety and investigative abilities of police officers by automatically scanning license plates and simultaneously checking them against criminal or civil databases before storing the data from each plate read.”
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Technology is helping law enforcement officials throughout the country and even the world nab criminals at a rapid pace. In fact, right now in the Southwest sunny state known as Arizona a new device that propels a small dart complete with GPS onto a suspect’s vehicle during a high speed chase is currently being tested. If you were to magically escape the police, the second you stop you will be located.
“It's a device that's mounted on the front of the patrol car, and there is a sighting device, targeting device and a deployment device inside the patrol car so the officer can adjust the aim depending on the type of vehicle," said Lt. Stephen Harrison, a public information officer in Arizona.
And on the West Coast, ear-mount video cameras are being leveraged to record and keep a record anytime an individual is pulled over. This is proving to be an essential element in convicting wrongdoers in court in addition to ensuring cops are following procedure at all times when in the field.
Harrison added, "High-speed pursuits are difficult; you don't know the driver's capabilities, the vehicle's capabilities," he said. "There is a significant safety factor in addition to a liability factor of chasing somebody at high speeds. ... We think it's an excellent tool to reduce the carnage associated with high-speed pursuits."
Innovations like the ones discussed above are helping those who promise to protect and serve the public do so with less effort. As results will likely prove to be positive, you can bet your bottom dollar or even your last donut that forces all over the nation will be implementing these solutions without delay.