At a grocery store, a simple scan of a bar code instantly reveals the price of the item, making the cashier’s job quick and efficient. Darien police have recently been getting the same assistance from technology in the form of a license plate reader, or LPR.
The Darien police have been making use of this futuristic tool for the past week, as they currently have it on loan. According to police, it has certainly proved itself useful as it has already assisted in several arrests — including that of Michael Thomasson, 52, of Norwalk on Wednesday, March 24.
New Scanner Helps Police Catch Questionable Cars
An LPR is a machine that attaches to the trunk of a police car on both the left and right side. It can be used while the police car is in motion, or while it is parked. The LPR scans license plates as cars pass and alerts police if the license plate is unregistered, stolen, or suspended — or if the person the car is registered to is wanted or missing, police said.
Once alerted, the information can be confirmed through the officer’s computer system. The LPR can also save the data and an image of the car, as well as the location and time that the image was captured, police said.
The Darien police have been testing out the LPR for the past week, determining if it is a tool they want to invest in. To own an LPR will be quite an investment, however, as they will set you back about $18,000 on average, police said.
Stamford police own several of these tech-savvy tools, which they primarily use to find parking ticket violators. According to Capt. Fred Komm of the Darien police, a Stamford car with an LPR attached will drive through public lots scanning the parked cars to search for drivers with outstanding parking tickets.
“It is a great source of revenue for them,” Komm said.
The Darien police have been using the LPR with a different purpose in mind, though — to make motor vehicle arrests. Such was the case with Thomasson, who, at around 10 a.m. on March 24, was driving a 2003 Ford van south on Hoyt Street when his unregistered license plate passed the LPR, police said.
The officer received an alert that the vehicle’s license plate was possibly unregistered, which the officer then confirmed through dispatch, police said. The van was stopped near Hope Street and Woodway Avenue in Stamford, police said.
Thomasson told the officer that he knew the van was unregistered because it had failed an inspection earlier in the month, police said. According to police, Thomasson appeared very nervous when speaking with the officer and the van smelled of marijuana.
The officer questioned Thomasson, asking if there were any drugs in the car, to which Thomasson admitted yes, police said. Thomasson handed over four dime bags of marijuana to the officer, and also stated that he had two passengers in the van earlier who were smoking, police said.
After searching the van further, police found five additional bags of marijuana, marijuana roaches, a metal grinder and rolling papers all in the center console, police said. Everything tested positive for marijuana, police said.
Thomasson was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving with a suspended license, failure to return a suspended license, and driving an unregistered motor vehicle. He posted $250 bond and is due in court on April 8.
As for whether the Darien police will be purchasing an LPR, officials are unsure, according to Komm. But the police are making use of one while they have it, he added.
News Hawk: Warbux 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Darien Times.com
Author: Lynsey Santimays
Contact: Welcome to Hersam Acorn Newspapers
Copyright: 2010 Darien Times.com
Website: https://www.acorn-online.com/joomla...ner-helps-police-catch-questionable-cars.html
The Darien police have been making use of this futuristic tool for the past week, as they currently have it on loan. According to police, it has certainly proved itself useful as it has already assisted in several arrests — including that of Michael Thomasson, 52, of Norwalk on Wednesday, March 24.
New Scanner Helps Police Catch Questionable Cars
An LPR is a machine that attaches to the trunk of a police car on both the left and right side. It can be used while the police car is in motion, or while it is parked. The LPR scans license plates as cars pass and alerts police if the license plate is unregistered, stolen, or suspended — or if the person the car is registered to is wanted or missing, police said.
Once alerted, the information can be confirmed through the officer’s computer system. The LPR can also save the data and an image of the car, as well as the location and time that the image was captured, police said.
The Darien police have been testing out the LPR for the past week, determining if it is a tool they want to invest in. To own an LPR will be quite an investment, however, as they will set you back about $18,000 on average, police said.
Stamford police own several of these tech-savvy tools, which they primarily use to find parking ticket violators. According to Capt. Fred Komm of the Darien police, a Stamford car with an LPR attached will drive through public lots scanning the parked cars to search for drivers with outstanding parking tickets.
“It is a great source of revenue for them,” Komm said.
The Darien police have been using the LPR with a different purpose in mind, though — to make motor vehicle arrests. Such was the case with Thomasson, who, at around 10 a.m. on March 24, was driving a 2003 Ford van south on Hoyt Street when his unregistered license plate passed the LPR, police said.
The officer received an alert that the vehicle’s license plate was possibly unregistered, which the officer then confirmed through dispatch, police said. The van was stopped near Hope Street and Woodway Avenue in Stamford, police said.
Thomasson told the officer that he knew the van was unregistered because it had failed an inspection earlier in the month, police said. According to police, Thomasson appeared very nervous when speaking with the officer and the van smelled of marijuana.
The officer questioned Thomasson, asking if there were any drugs in the car, to which Thomasson admitted yes, police said. Thomasson handed over four dime bags of marijuana to the officer, and also stated that he had two passengers in the van earlier who were smoking, police said.
After searching the van further, police found five additional bags of marijuana, marijuana roaches, a metal grinder and rolling papers all in the center console, police said. Everything tested positive for marijuana, police said.
Thomasson was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving with a suspended license, failure to return a suspended license, and driving an unregistered motor vehicle. He posted $250 bond and is due in court on April 8.
As for whether the Darien police will be purchasing an LPR, officials are unsure, according to Komm. But the police are making use of one while they have it, he added.
News Hawk: Warbux 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Darien Times.com
Author: Lynsey Santimays
Contact: Welcome to Hersam Acorn Newspapers
Copyright: 2010 Darien Times.com
Website: https://www.acorn-online.com/joomla...ner-helps-police-catch-questionable-cars.html
