STOCKTON, Calif. — More than a hundred license plate readers are expected to be installed in Stockton. City leaders say this could help reduce and prevent crime.
Currently, Stockton has 15 license plate readers. But new federal funding will allow the city to install 110 more. That means the city will go from having 15 to 125 total license plate readers, with the goal of helping catch criminals.
“The officers or investigators are looking for a specific make, model of a car or even a license plate, but sometimes you don't have that luxury to have a license plate, but you have the make, model or the color or even certain criteria that fits," said Omar Edhah with the Stockton Police Department. "You can put those parameters into that search system and, you know, in a specific area or just in general and then you submit that and then you get all those hits that are identical or similar.” Stockton police and the city manager both agree that it can help prevent crimes by having those cameras present.
"We will deploy these cameras and locations that provide for optimizing a geographic impact. What I mean by that is roadways entering and exiting the city, as well as crime hotspots," said Stockton City Manager Harry Black. It can also help reduce crime by catching suspects faster and getting them off the streets.
Stockton police also addressed the privacy concerns raised by the cameras. "I don't see it being much different than a red light camera and again, this is an investigati.
