License Plate Readers Make an Impact in Georgia

Richmond County Sheriff’s officials say they’re considering adding license plate readers to their patrol fleet.

Deputy Terry Skinner tells the Augusta Chronicle the automated license plate readers have made an impact in the department during a testing phase.

Skinner says the readers can scan 1,000 cars in 10 minutes and send an alert to the officer driving the car if the license plate is linked to criminal activity.

Lt. Lewis Blanchard says four cameras mounted on the back of a patrol car can snap a photo of an adjacent car’s license plate and relay the information to the Georgia Crime Information Center to stop offenders.

Blanchard says the department will test and evaluate three different automated license plate reading systems and department officials hope to purchase a scanner next year.