Police Adding 200 License Plate Readers To Squad Cars To Go After Carjackers
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago police are equipping 200 more squad cars with license plate readers, to help officers spot stolen cars, and crack down on carjackings.
The license plate readers are placed on top of police cars; allowing officers to scan license plate numbers in seconds, and match the data against a list of stolen vehicles, potentially spotting carjackers before they ditch a stolen vehicle.
Chicago police showed off the technology last April, when they said it has helped double arrests in carjackings.
"If it's a stolen car, it can tell us that," said Chicago Police Sargent Keith Blair. "It'll scan a plate a second if not quicker."
Police said squad cars equipped with license plate readers build on the city's larger strategies that led to a 31 percent increase in arrests compared to 2017.
Because officers will be able to more quickly identify stolen cars, police hope they will ultimately deter more carjackers from stealing vehicles in the first place.