Painesville Police Get High Tech Help

PAINESVILLE, Ohio — The Painesville Police Department gets some “high tech” help to catch criminals. 

The system consists of two high-speed cameras mounted on both sides of a police cruiser.  The cameras are capable of capturing thousands of license plates numbers a minute off of moving or parked vehicles. 

The information is processed through a police database known as a “hot file.” The scanner can instantly alert the officer if the vehicle is stolen.   It can also help with Amber Alerts and locating suspects or fugitives.

Painesville resident Danielle Brymer thinks the scanner can be a helpful tool for police. 

“If my car ever gets stolen, that would be very nice to know that they have that and it would be a lot easier for them to find vehicles,” she said.

Taylor Barringer, of Willoughby, wonders if this is just more of “Big Brother” watching, but, believes it can be beneficial. 

“Just like any technology, it has to be used properly. It definitely could be an advantageous thing for someone recovering their car, or recovering their child — God forbid,” Barringer said. 

Painesville Police received the automated license plate reader through a grant from the Cleveland Department of Public Safety and Cuyahoga County Regional Enterprise Data Sharing System. 

The device is dedicated to one Painesville police cruiser, but is in use both day and night during all three shifts.