License plate readers becoming more common, helpful to police
Springdale is set to be the latest community to use license plate readers at its intersections.
The borough’s police department adopted the Automated National Noninvasive Insurance Enforcement (ANNIE) program, Chief Derek Dayoub said.
Dayoub said ANNIE is a community policing and problem-solving program for police departments to address a nationwide problem of uninsured and unregistered vehicles.
“What’s unique about the program is that it assumes innocence,” Dayoub said. “Law enforcement personnel review the information, collect evidence and utilize technology through the agency’s (automated license plate recognition) system.”
In other communities, however, license plate readers are used for more than just checking for vehicle insurance.
A more pressing use of plate readers is helping police track vehicles fleeing from law enforcement.
Plate readers were used to track Aaron Swan, the man who shot and killed Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire in January 2023.
More than 70% of crimes in the U.S. involve a vehicle, according to data provided by American Police Beat.
In Allegheny County, more than 400 license plate readers have been installed, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
The readers work by capturing license plate information that is uploaded to searchable databases with the date, time and GPS coordinates of the vehicle.
Although Kiski Township in Armstrong County doesn’t have plate readers yet, police Chief Lee Bartolicius praised the technology and its ability to cut down on potentially dangerous police chases.
“It protects the officers and other occupants in the fleeing vehicle, and it reduces the need and risk for a pursuit,” said Bartolicius, who worked as a detective for the city of Duquesne for six years.
Bartolicius provided an example from a previous criminal investigation that used plate readers, enabling police to track a suspect’s car in Allegheny County to Duquesne and, later, pinpointing the vehicle in McKeesport, where the suspect was arrested.
“We were able to narrow down what would have taken us weeks, with lots of manpower, to days,” Bartolicius said. “What’s in place in the Greater Pittsburgh area is phenomenal for identifying suspects.”
Plate readers were invented in Britain in 1976. The first plate reader-assisted stolen car arrest was made in 1981.
Bartolicius said he plans to outfit his department’s police cruisers with mobile plate readers, estimating the cost would be about $50,000.
Stationary readers, mounted on traffic signal or utility poles near intersections, are cheaper.
Melanie Jones, spokeswoman for the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office, said the county is in the process of installing some license plate readers through grant funding secured by state Sen. Kim Ward, R-Hempfield.
Places where plate readers are in use or planned for use include Derry, East Huntingdon, Hempfield, Murrysville, North Huntingdon, Penn Township, Rostraver, Unity, Washington Township and Youngwood, Jones said.
“An expansion of license plate readers at high-volume intersections will help with active investigations, apprehending offenders quickly and working together across county lines when crimes occur,” Jones said.
The idea of traffic cameras has floated through other Alle-Kiski Valley communities.
Tarentum also is considering participating in the ANNIE traffic program. Borough Manager Dwight Boddorf said the system has not yet been approved or implemented and still is being reviewed for feasibility. Tarentum already has traffic cameras mounted at key intersections and three mobile license plate readers mounted on police vehicles.
In 2019, Allegheny Township implemented a license plate reader system that helped to identify an Indiana County woman accused of breaking into an apartment last September.
Police obtained the registration information of the suspect’s van from license plate readers, which identified the suspect, who later was arrested.
Chief Daniel Uncapher declined to provide how many stationary readers the township installed but said they’re an important crime fighting tool.
“They are up and running 24/7, and the biggest thing is the major intersections that are covered. An overview camera, it doesn’t read the plate but shows an overall picture of what happens — and those are obvious benefits,” Uncapher said.
In an era of cellphones and readily available private security options, Uncapher said, the increase in plate readers shouldn’t be a surprise to the public.
“The biggest attribute is it’s an important investigative tool for us, and it’s definitely one as technology advances,” he said. “It’s better that we assume that there are cameras everywhere because, in society right now, everyone is pulling out cellphones. Cameras are everywhere nowadays.”
Annual fees are paid for the cameras and internet connections used with them.
O’Hara police Superintendent Jay Davis said his department doesn’t utilize the plate reader system — yet.
“We’re all having that conversation as far as the benefits of using them,” Davis said.
Davis previously worked in Peters Township and has experience with stationary and mobile readers. He said the biggest benefit is the speed in which investigations can be narrowed down.
The Frazer and Tarentum police departments also use plate readers. Tarentum police vehicles are outfitted with mobile plate readers, and Frazer uses stationary readers mounted to poles.
Bartolicius is hopeful plate reader technology expands more rapidly across the state.
“More municipalities need to invest in this,” he said. “I’m an advocate to have the readers at every intersection.”
Southern Armstrong Regional Police Department Lt. John Arce said he isn’t aware of any police departments utilizing plate readers in Armstrong County.
“I believe it’s a beneficial tool, but, again, it comes down to cost,” Arce said. “These small municipalities can’t afford it.”
In Springdale, borough council last month unanimously approved opening a new checking account at First Commonwealth Bank to enter into the plate reader agreement.
That’s the first step of the process, Dayoub said. He said Securix — the company that runs the ANNIE program — will then locate areas in the borough to put the plate readers.
“As a whole, I think the benefits are not just focused to our area but anywhere the general motoring public drives,” Dayoub said. “A lot of accidents happen daily with uninsured motorists which cause undue harm and financial loss to the other party.
“I believe this program is a good start to bring some of those individuals into compliance.”
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