BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Law enforcement agencies in Brown County are taking a closer look at automatic license plate reading cameras after seeing the success Green Bay claims to have had with them.
The Brown County Sheriff’s Department and De Pere Police are hoping to join Green Bay by adding license plate reading cameras to heavily traveled areas.
“It’s a tool very specifically to aid in solving crimes,” said Sheriff Todd Delain with the Brown County Sheriff’s Department.
Both agencies hope to get grant money to add the cameras.
Green Bay first tested the cameras in July and liked them so much the city council agreed to a three-year, $332,000 deal to lease 42 of the cameras.
“One of our afternoon shift police officers said that this was the most useful, most beneficial use of technology that the department has gotten during their time here,” said Commander Gary Richgels of the Green Bay Police Department.
Green Bay Police say their cameras capture an average of 7,000 vehicles a day and the data is stored for 30 days and then deleted.
The department is happy to hear more agencies could be putting up their own cameras. If other agencies get a hit on a vehicle Green Bay is looking for, they get sent an alert and vice versa.
“The more the merrier,” said Richgels. “It helps agencies talk to each other without the use of manpower because it’s all electronic.
When FOX 11 has done stories in the past on Green Bay using these cameras, viewers commenting on social media have been skeptical. A lot of the comments were about Big Brother and voicing concerns the cameras will be used beyond the originally stated intention.
“I think the real proof is in what has occurred,” said Delain. “The proof is in the actions so far and what you’ve seen. I think from the perspective of the sheriff, we’re definitely not interested in knowing where people are going. We’re just way too busy for that.”
Delain says the sole purpose of the cameras is to hold people accountable when they commit crimes.
Brown County says it hopes a state grant will pay for 12 cameras.
De Pere says it hopes to get federal ARPA dollars for the cameras.
These cameras are not meant to catch people speeding. State law prohibits using cameras for that purpose.
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