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| New TPD camera system scans ‘several hundred’ license plates |
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The Tomball Police Department is implementing a new camera system on some of its patrol cars, one that has staggering capabilities. The department has installed an “automatic license plate recognition system” on three of its police cruisers which, according to Capt. Rick Grassi, has the capability to scan the plates of “several hundred” cars per hour. “This system creates the ability to scan, recognize and process the license plates of several hundred calls per hour,” Grassi said. “The license plates are automatically cross-checked in real time against a number of local and national databases to identify vehicles that are of interest to law enforcement.” Vehicles “of interest” could be those that may have been stolen, are being driven by someone wanted by police or sexual predators traveling through the city. For example, Grassi explained that if a camera-equipped patrol car is driving through a school zone, the camera system can recognize if any of the cars which it passes is being driven by a registered sex offender. However, the system goes beyond just initial vehicle recognition. Grassi explained that once a license plate is scanned, that number is entered into a Tomball PD electronic database readily available at any time. If police had a need to search for a particular person or vehicle, the license plate number could then be entered into the database and police could determine how many times and where that vehicle has been spotted in Tomball. “It will show every time we’ve ever passed that vehicle,” Grassi said. “It’s a good crime-fighting tool.” The Tomball PD is hoping the new system will help identify stolen vehicles. Grassi said that each morning, the Texas Department of Public Safety distributes to law enforcement agencies updated information regarding stolen vehicles. That information is then uploaded into the license plate recognition system and the cameras would then be able to spot a particular vehicle on the DPS list. The camera has the ability to scan license plates of vehicles traveling behind, next to and in front of the equipped patrol car, Grassi added. Among the features not being implemented in the system is recognition of expired vehicle insurance, registration or inspection stickers. “Right now we’re not going to do that,” Grassi said. “If we built a database for it, yeah, we could do insurance. But that stuff changes daily.” The camera system and computer database cost the department about $12,000 per vehicle, which was spent out of the department’s Red Light Camera fund. Money from the Red Light Camera fund can only be utilized for traffic safety initiatives within the city. Comments (7)
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written by Jake Bolton, February 16, 2011
I can understand the abilities of this camera but I think these cameras are an intrusion on the privacy of law abiding citizens. Too much government in our lives.
dastrong, interesting take on the situation. A city that wants to fund a gathering place for illegals now wants to electronically shakedown the rest of us.
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written by Logans_run, February 23, 2011
Along with the simply creepy "Big Brother" aspects of these cameras I also see the opportunity to enhance revenue. I am certain that one of the functions of the database check will be for expired registration. Ah that nice fat fine that the City earns along with the enforcement of the registration fee.
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written by Jake Bolton, February 24, 2011
Revenue is all government is concerned with. A large majority of government officials just love spending other people's money.
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written by aspyn31, March 22, 2011
I'm all for the police being able to identify any sexual predators that may be anywhere around a school district or for that matter ANYWHERE by any means possible. Any technology that can help an officer arrest predators is worth any invasion of privacy for myself. If you have nothing to hide then who cares if they run your plate or not?????? Be a law abiding citizen and don't worry about what the police are doing! I say post camera everywhere because if you have children it's your biggest fear that your child be stolen and we should never place limits on police that are there to protect children. Its our job in life as Adults to protect children at any and all cost! Bottom Line!
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written by Jake Bolton, March 23, 2011
Don't fall for the let's do it for the children act. Each time you allow the government to invade more of you privacy the less freedom you and I have. Just because cops can identify a bad person by their plate doesn't give cops the right to arrest that person, unless there is a warrant out for their arrest of they have just broken a traffic law. There are a lot of fine police officers out there, but as it is in every group there are bad apples. Bad cops don't need to have such private information at their hands.
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They don't even ask to see your papers - they just give you an electronic shakedown on a driveby. And this from the city that won't ask an illegal for documentation.....
People of Tomball ought to be ashamed of what they've become.