PLAINFIELD — The Plainfield Police Department has a new crime fighting tool. They're testing stationary license plate readers.
More than a dozen have already been installed along major roads in the town.
The cameras can read license plates and descriptions of cars. They also help police with a wide variety of cases, including Amber Alerts, Silver Alerts, and stolen cars.
Plainfield now joins a growing number of law enforcement agencies using this type of technology, including Indianapolis, Lawrence, and Zionsville.
"I've heard it said that this may be the best public safety tool that has come out since DNA or fingerprints," Plainfield Deputy Police Chief Joe Aldridge, said. "I think it will be that helpful to law enforcement."
Aldridge said license plate readers would have been very helpful during a2020 incident in which a car was stolen with an infant in the back seat.
"That sparked an Amber Alert on my agency and had we had that kind of technology at the time and known where the vehicle exited town, we may have been able to located the vehicle sooner and brought closure to the family," Aldridge said.
Information from the cameras is stored for 30 days before it's deleted.
