TOLEDO, Ohio — There are 25 new license plate readers in Toledo and law enforcement planned to begin using them this month.
The plate readers are stationary and located in various locations throughout the city.
They will record street view images of cars and plates.
Toledo police said the cameras are not for use enforcing traffic violations or for looking inside vehicles.
"They're for investigative purposes only somebody gives a description of a vehicle," TPD Sgt. Tom LaForge said. "We can watch these to see if we can see a vehicle in that area that might be related to the crime for follow up investigations."
Police believe the plate readers can help solve violent crimes. TPD investigators will have access to them.
The license-plate readers should not be confused with the city's red-light enforcement cameras. That program is on hold while officials await a court ruling about their legality.
In 2018, Rossford also began using a license-plate reader. The department attached the device to one of Rossford Police Department's patrol vehicles.
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