Plate Readers Now Track Cars Leaving Binghamton
Binghamton's network of license plate readers has been quietly expanded to keep track of vehicles as they drive out of the city.
When the initiative was announced last year, Mayor Richard David said the plates of each vehicle entering Binghamton would be scanned and monitored by police.
The city now has installed additional plate readers at some border points to track vehicles as they leave Binghamton.
The mayor said the new equipment to monitor vehicles exiting the city was requested by the police department.
Speaking on WNBF Radio's Binghamton Now program, David said he believed there were "a handful" of locations where plate readers now are keeping track of vehicles in both directions.
The mayor said the new tactic was implemented in the past month or so. He said the plate readers are an important resource for detectives to use to "help solve major crimes."
Binghamton officials won't reveal how many arrests have been made as a result of the plate readers. They also won't say whether any big cases have been closed because of the readers that monitor cars leaving the city.
The only case that's been publicized involved last September's arrest of a teenager after police were alerted that a stolen truck went past a plate reader on Main Street near the Johnson City line.
About two dozen stationary plate readers are believed to be in place around the city.
Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com
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