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.
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“We have apprehended car thieves, armed robbery suspects, delinquent parents and drug dealers,” Smith said. “We have seized firearms and illegal substances.”
The county has operated seven readers since 2004 on a test basis, netting 400 arrests since. Officials are purchasing four more with funds from a state grant.
Auto thieves are frequently repeat offenders, said police department spokesman Bill Toohey, and the devices help prevent future crimes.
“If we get Johnny now with that cool tool, he’s not going to steal three more cars later,” Toohey said.
Each cost about $18,000, Johnson said, but can save police exponentially more by helping officers avoid costly and tedious investigations and manhunts. The investment, Johnson said, has an “incredible” return.
“This allows our officers to find the needle in the haystack — the one car among thousands of others,” Johnson said. “It’s one of the best pieces of technology I’ve seen in years.”
The demonstration came one month after Smith called a news conference to highlight statistics that indicate crime in Baltimore County is at a 20-year low. Police have cleared 74 percent of violent crimes this year and 80 percent of their homicides.
In the future, Johnson said, he might post crime alerts on Youtube.
