Baltimore County officials are crediting a significant drop in car thefts to a James Bond-like device that allows police officers to find a “needle in a haystack.”

County Executive Jim Smith and police Chief James Johnson Thursday demonstrated the “Automated License Plate Reader,” a computerized camera that can scan license plates at speeds up to 100 miles per hour against a database of stolen vehicles and vehicles suspected of being used in a crime. The technology has had dramatic results: a 13 percent drop in car thefts from Jan. 1 through Dec. 14, compared to the same period last year.