BEDFORD CHARTER TOWNSHIP, Michigan — Authorities and law enforcement in Monroe County have partnered with FLOCK Safety to install four license plate reader cameras at a Bedford Township intersection, according to a press release from the county sheriff's office.
The cameras are mounted on poles in the intersection of Sterns Road and Secor Road, where they are capable of reading the make, model, color and license plates of vehicles. The data creates alerts to law enforcement if a potentially wanted or stolen vehicle passes in front of the camera. The fast-acting alerts can be sent to officers within seconds, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office said.
"As technology and crime trends change, these ALPR cameras allow law enforcement to remain at the cutting edge to continue to provide safety and security for the citizens of Monroe County," the spokesperson said.
In the press release, the technology was described as helping officers fight crime both reactively and proactively, but said it would not be used for traffic enforcement. The cameras do not take photos of the vehicle occupants and they do not possess facial recognition technology, law enforcement said.
Furthermore, data collected by the cameras is "securely stored in the cloud" and is deleted automatically every 30 days on a rolling basis. No data will be sold or shared with third parties, according to the press release.
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