GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga.,None — Gwinnett County police have a new crime fighting tool that can read up to 1,800 license plates per minute.
The so-called mobile plate hunters use cameras that instantly and automatically capture license plate numbers. The plates will be run against a county hot list that could contain alerts for suspects, stolen cars and vehicles associated with crime scenes and missing people.
"Eventually it will be tied into a state hot list and throughout the country, but these plate readers are able to read plates from all 50 states and also Mexico and Canada and some other foreign countries," said Cpl. Edwin Ritter.
Gwinnett County outfitted three patrol cars with the cameras at $20,000 per unit. The county paid for them with drug seizure money.
"This tool has multiple functions, and if one life is saved using this tool, it will prove invaluable," said Ritter.