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INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Arrests on charges similar to murder, beach robberies, primary burglaries, overseas gun smuggling and a stolen U-Haul have resulted from a slew of “hits” through license plate readers on cars traveling through the county last year.
As 2024 begins, the automated network of AI-powered and solar-powered license plate readers spanning the entire county is in its third full year of operation.
“As it stands right now, you can’t get in or out of Indian River County without us knowing about it,” said Sheriff Eric Flowers.
He said deputies tell him the eventual 100-camera system is “the best thing that we’ve ever done.”
As an investigative tool, he said, the technology has helped in preventing crimes “we would have never been able to stop,” he said.
Although the agency’s system is primarily stationary, fixed on poles by roadsides, versions of the technology are now in some deputy vehicles and potentially in the agency’s helicopters.
About 25 patrol cars are outfitted with Axon license plate readers, which perform in roughly the same way as the roadside cameras.
While road deputies are on duty, their vehicles act as a license plate reader, Flowers said.
“Their speed camera captures license plates and documents where they see those things. . . And I’m convinced that in the long run we’ll solve a murder through this,” he said.
Read more: Hawk’s up: What it means to spy on the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office with your eyes on the sky
The helicopters will then receive license plate readers.
“As our helicopters are on patrol they would be able to grab license plates from the sky,” he said.
The agency’s five-year agreement with Atlanta-based Flock Safety began in September 2021 with the installation of the first 20 license plate cameras. There were 48 in 2022 and its initial target of 96 was reached by 2023, according to the agency’s statistics. At 97, there will most likely be a total of 100 cameras, Flowers said.
Each camera costs about $2,500, for a total of about $242,500 per year.
Below is the number of alerts or “incidents” that were brought to the attention of authorities and the response, throughout the year, according to statistics from the sheriff’s office:
2023: Out of 323 incidents involving license plate readers in November, there were 15 arrests and 86 unsolved alerts because the vehicles were not discovered by police.
2022: Out of 411 incidents, there were 16 arrests and 124 unresolved alerts. 14 alerts were issued to locate missing persons or a stolen vehicle.
2021: With just 70% of cameras installed, 131 incidents led to three arrests and six resolved cases.
They operate day and night, regardless of weather conditions, and record license plate numbers, times, dates, and locations, as well as the rear of passing vehicles.
With every picture of a vehicle, the image is stored and the scanned license plate information is sought for matches across local, state and federal criminal databases.
If the license plates are identified, “keys” are obtained, and depending on the cause of the pulse, whether it is a wanted fugitive or a missing person, operators can relay the main details to officials searching for the vehicle.
“Arrests are part of that, but we use them as an investigative tool. . . it’s all the other data that comes from those things that helps us (do) business,” Flowers said.
For example, on Nov. 19, cameras captured a car tag belonging to a guy who Flowers said was a federal fugitive wanted for foreign trafficking or weapons smuggling and, according to Florida Highway Patrol records, is listed as a “multinational arms dealer. “”»
Deputies became aware of the vehicle after it was captured through license plate scanners in Volusia County, Sergeant Kevin Jaworski said.
A traffic stop attempted on State Road 60 just off the interstate, turned into a southbound I-95 pursuit as the vehicle weaved through all lanes of traffic and reached what records show at times was 131 mph.
He followed state troopers and St. Louis County deputies. Lucie and Indian River, who forced him off the road. The driver ran into a swamp near Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital and stopped in front of Port St. Police Canine Officers. Lucie, Jaworski said.
“We picked him up, we pursued him … and took him into custody … for Homeland Security,” Flowers said. “Now that’s somebody who otherwise we would’ve never known about were it not for this technology.”
Similarly, on Sept. 12, a murder suspect fled Palm Bay where police say he shot and killed a man outside a 7-Eleven just to take his car to drive and pick up someone from a hotel in Indian River County.
Police records show the deceased’s car scanned through county license plate readers located at State Road 60 and 90th Avenue.
After 20 minutes, a police officer tried to stop the car from passing, which fled and then blocked it with strips of tire nails.
The Palm Bay guy who was driving the vehicle was arrested and charged with first-degree premeditated murder and armed carjacking, police records show.
“We used our dog from school resources to get out and walk the trail I was going on and were able to retrieve the gun from the trees next to a prevention sign,” Flowers said.
On Oct. 21 a man with burglary warrants, wanted by law enforcement in Colorado and Virginia, drove a stolen U-Haul from Atlanta and exited the interstate into Indian River County.
“Our guys knew right away that this was a stolen U-Haul because of our license plate reading technology,” Flowers said. “They detain him (and) give him arrest warrants. “
Flowers praised what amounts to an annual subscription or rental of tuition equipment.
“When I talk to the patrol deputies, the No. 1 thing they overwhelmingly say to me is the LPR system is the best thing that we’ve ever done, and that it is such a great tool for them and their investigations,” he said.
Read more: Automated License Plate Readers: Which Treasure Coast Law Enforcement Agencies Use Them and Why?
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Corey Arwood is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Corey on Twitter @coreyarwood or contact him by phone at 772-978-2246.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: AI plate-scanning technology evolves as crime fighting tool at IRCSO
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