Sullivan County, NY – Sullivan County Sheriff’s Sgt. Luis Alvarez walked to his squad car, started the engine, and booted up the aptly named Panasonic Toughbook in between the front seats, the Sheriff’s Office’s newest weapon against crime.
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This new “partner” is called the LPR Mobile Plate Hunter 900 – better known as a license plate reader. In use by the Sheriff’s Office for the last six months, the $18,000 machine reads plates while moving or stationary, checking them against the state Department of Motor Vehicles’ (DMV) database.
That information, downloaded wirelessly into the laptop every morning, can not only tell officers who hasn’t paid their insurance or registration fees but also if a vehicle is stolen or its owner is wanted. [sullivan county democrat]