Ahead of New Year’s Eve festivities, Las Vegas adds license plate readers to downtown area
Las Vegas announced Tuesday that nearly two dozen automated license plate readers (ALPRs) have been deployed in the city’s downtown area to help law enforcement find and recover stolen or wanted vehicles ahead of New Year’s Eve festivities.
The city’s 22 new cameras with automated license plate reading technology are installed in 11 locations downtown close to the Fremont Street Experience and on major thoroughfares in the city, a news release said. The ALPRs automatically notify law enforcement in real-time of stolen and wanted vehicles and are currently operational in downtown Las Vegas. City officials said the cameras will be monitored by law enforcement to improve public safety during the New Year’s Eve festivities Tuesday evening and beyond.
City officials said the technology will not be used to look for individuals who commit minor traffic infractions such as speeding or running a red light, but the ALPRs have “shown to be effective in recovering stolen vehicles, identifying wanted suspects and acts as a deterrent.”
Las Vegas joins nearby Henderson, Nevada, in deploying the technology. Henderson has been using ALPR technology since 2011. In October, the Henderson Police Department shared that it had deployed 54 stationary cameras at busy intersections throughout the city to enhance the agency’s crime-solving capabilities.
Use of ALPRs has expanded in big cities over the past year, particularly in those with high rates of tourism. Last January, San Francisco’s police department installed 400 readers to combat retail theft and other crimes. In February, the New Jersey State Police shared plans to install 120 new automated license plate readers around Atlantic City.
