AZ - The Town of Paradise Valley is adding a new gadget to its collection of surveillance tools: permanent roadside license plate readers.
Several Valley police agencies, including Paradise Valley, already use license plate readers mounted on patrol cars. But the decision by council leaders to install the technology at eleven locations across town signals a broader use of the cameras.
They will be mounted on poles and embedded inside faux cacti to record the location, date and time of the plate number. Some of the cameras have already been installed and the program is expected to go online in June. The total cost for the project is $752,000...
Paradise Valley Community Resource Officer, Kevin Albert says strict protocols will be in place for investigators who are trained and designated to access the database. He also says simply having the plate numbers on file will not compromise privacy rights. (right) more
