License Plate Readers Coming To 4 Newtown-Wrightstown Intersections - Newtown, PA - The system will cost the township $151,000 to install. The cost will be fully funded and reimbursed through a grant.
Cameras, mounted on the mast arms of the traffic signals, will capture the license plates of every vehicle passing through the intersections, flagging any that are in the NCIC, a national criminal justice database, according to Police Chief John Hearn.
"Wanted subjects, missing persons, stolen license tags, Megan's Law violations, terrorist watch lists. That's what the database searches out," said the chief.
According to Chief Hearn, license plate images will be retained for 30 days. "If it doesn't hit, it disappears in 30 days. If I get a hit on your license plate as unregistered, it will stay in there for 60 days. If there's a criminal investigation on the license plate we're going to keep it indefinitely until the case is closed."*
The proposed locations of the LPR in Newtown/Wrightstown are:
I'm happy that the Chief specified what happens to license plate/car location data captured from law-abiding abiding citizens. This was one of my concerns (for more on that read "“#NewtownPA Township Police Department Requests BOS Approval to Purchase License Plate Readers for $151,000!"; https://sco.lt/7y3KSG).
*Let's hope that this policy is followed.