The Wichita Police Department will be buying more license plate readers to help in finding stolen cars and searching for criminal suspects. The department has been using devices from The Flock Group in a 90-day pilot program.
Police lieutenant Casey Slaughter told city council members this week that the system has helped recover more than 150 stolen cars valued at $1.5 million, with 81 stolen license plates recovered, 163 arrests, and two dozen guns seized. The system also helped with the arrest of a homicide suspect, arrests of a number of shooting suspects and robbery suspects, and the rescue of a kidnapping victim.
Slaughter said the system can look for license plates that are identified with criminal activity. If a license plate number is not available, the readers can identify vehicles based on the build, make and color. The data in the system is only accessible by law enforcement agencies, and it is kept in the system for only 30 days with a policy in place to prevent unethical use of data. Slaughter said the devices are mobile and can be placed in crime hot spots around the city.
The council approved $275,000 for the purchase of 110 LPR devices and related equipment from The Flock Group, under a one-year program. The devices would be assigned to each patrol unit and to the Investigations Section.