DANVILLE, Va. (WSET) — Local law enforcement agencies in Danville are employing automatic license plate readers to track down murder suspects, locate missing persons, and recover stolen vehicles.
The Danville Police Department has installed 21 of these cameras throughout the city, thanks to a partnership with Flock Safety. Assistant Chief of Operations David Whitley explained, “We have put those in areas of the city where you are coming in and out of the city; it will capture every tag that travels in and out of the city.”
The technology allows police to identify suspects or spot stolen vehicles quickly, even from a partial tag, pinpointing their location within seconds. “The quicker we can get to a conclusion, the quicker that we can figure out who’s responsible; that allows us to answer questions to the community,” Whitley said.
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While the cameras have proven to be a valuable tool in investigations, Whitley emphasized, “It has been a great tool, but it’s just a tool, right, it does not solve crimes themselves.” An example of its effectiveness was when a camera on South Boston Highway helped locate a suspect accused of shooting and killing an Exxon gas station owner in April.
To address privacy concerns, the Danville Police Department has launched a transparency page on its website, detailing the cameras’ locations and usage. Whitley assured, “It is not used to monitor movements, it simply collects photos from public areas, highways, from the roads and highways in the city, and it is in there, and the only time anybody sees that is if it’s directly related to the crime.”
The state conducts monthly audits to ensure proper use of the cameras, which are ultimately aimed at enhancing public safety by providing police with a faster way to solve crimes.
