Sheriff’s Office Deploys Mobile Infrared Cameras
August 1, 2006
Kingston – A Sheriff’s patrol unit has a two-way radio, a high-speed laptop computer to run criminal checks on suspects, a radar unit to detect speeders, and lights and siren to alert motorists to yield to an emergency response. Today, a sheriff’s patrol unit has a pair of powerful eyes.
The Ulster County Sheriff’s Office now deploys mobile infrared cameras that can scan the license plates of cars automatically while a deputy is on patrol. Those scanned plates are then matched against a New York Statewide Police Information Network (NYSPIN) "hot list" that contains stolen cars and plates.
The user can also manually enter plate numbers of cars associated with an Amber Alert or a crime such as a robbery suspect on the loose, said Sheriff’s Captain Harry VanVliet IV.
On Thursday, two 5-pound cameras that are part of the Remington License Plate Reader (LPR) system were placed on the roof of a sheriff’s patrol unit. If the deputy drives slowly through a mall parking lot to check car tags, the cameras would be mounted at about a 90-degree angle from the squad car. If he wants to capture the tags of vehicles alongside him in traffic, they would be pitched at about 35 degrees to the side. The user can also point a camera behind him to capture the plates of cars that have driven past him in the opposite direction.
Previously, to run a tag number before, the user had to manually type it into his laptop computer. The sheriff's office says the system is capable of running up to 10,000 plates per shift. Along with increased efficiency, the system better distinguishes between Os and Qs on license plates than a typical user.
The system was provided to the Sheriff by the NYS Operation Impact initiative, and costs approximately $20,000 each. The units are sold through a joint venture between Remington Arms Co., in Madison, N.C., and Elsag SpA, in Genoa, Italy.
More information is available at: http://www.remingtonelsag.com/mobile-system.htm
or
Captain Harry VanVliet IV at (845) 334-8333