Automated License Plate Readers Used to Target Citizens
PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. (April 19, 2010)—During the weekend of April 16th through the 18th, Maryland State Police personnel make numerous arrests and issued many citations and warnings in the Solomons area. The activity was in conjunction with the annual opening of the Tiki Bar—a southern Maryland springtime ritual that draws thousands of people from around the region to party in the open-air of Solomons Island.
Troopers on the ground arrested 4 people for disorderly conduct, 4 people
for possession of drugs, and 1 person for possession of a concealed weapon.
Fourteen arrests were made for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) and 4 arrests were made for possession of drugs
by troopers on patrol in vehicles. Police did not release the names of those arrested.
Troopers participated in saturation patrols Friday night and Saturday night from 7pm until 3am in the southern end of Calvert County. Saturation patrols focus a large number of police officers to a specific area where there is a high probability of encountering drunk or drugged drivers, say police.
The Maryland State Police Criminal Investigation Division assisted the troopers on saturation patrol by providing two License Plate Readers or LPR's. LPR's are computer-equipped cameras that scan license plates and report problems to the troopers via immediate computer alerts. The LPR's read a total of 7,314 tags and had 123 alerts. Seventy-two traffic citations and 83 warnings were issued.
Troopers from the Prince Frederick Barrack, Leonardtown Barrack, La Plata Barrack, Glen Burnie Barrack, Southern Maryland Intelligence Center, Special Operations Division, and the Criminal Investigation Division assisted the Calvert County Sheriff's Office with this event.
RELATED INFORMATION:
Five Arrested for Disorderly Conduct at Tiki Bar Opening, April 19, 2010
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