GREECE, N.Y. – For the past year, Greece Police have been using license plate readers to find suspects in car thefts. How successful is the program? News10NBC’s Kristi Blake spoke with investigators.
The cameras typically hang near power poles or with the traffic lights. They’re scanning for license plates reported stolen or those with arrest warrants attached to them.
Officers get an alert, then they start their own investigation. Captain Michael Perkowski says that when comparing six months, January to June of 2024, and this year, motor vehicle thefts are down 50%. Motor vehicle theft arrests are up 56%.
Good Question: When will Monroe County get license plate reader cameras?
The only thing that changed during that time was 56 readers being installed. There’s been about a half dozen arrests involving readers so far this month. Kristi Blake asked Perkowski about people who may be worried they’re being watched.
Cpt Michael Perkowski, Greece Police Department: “It’s not about big brother. It’s about solving crimes. And when our officers have access to the LPR systems in their patrol cars, and they happen to be by an LPR camera or in the area of it, and a stolen vehicle goes by, we now have kind of given them a solvability factor to try to make an arrest.”
RELATED: Three charged after pursuit from Greece into Rochester
He went on to say it’s about keeping law-abiding citizens safe. Readers are not used as traffic cameras for speeding tickets or running a red light. They are however, used to look for missing people.
The first round of cameras came from a state grant. Perkowski says he can’t tell Blake the city’s plan for the rest of this year into next, but this is a tool the department wants to grow.
Monroe County is also in its installation phase for license plate readers. The county says it’s hopeful they’ll be done before the end of this year.
AI assisted with the formatting of this story. Click here to see how WHEC News 10 uses AI
Greece Police: Car thefts down, theft arrests up, after getting license plate readers WHEC.com.
Hence then, the article about greece police car thefts down theft arrests up after getting license plate readers was published today ( ) and is available on News10NBC ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Greece Police: Car thefts down, theft arrests up, after getting license plate readers )
Also on site :