Clinton adding more crime-fighting technology

By Randy Bell

Anyone wanted for a crime might want to avoid driving through Clinton. The City already has some cameras which read license plates, and it will soon have more. The Board of Aldermen at its February 18 meeting approved Police Chief Ford Hayman’s request for a lease agreement with a Brandon company to cover seventeen lanes of traffic with license plate recognition technology – an increase of three lanes. The Board also approved a memorandum of understanding between the police department and Insight LPR, LLC for accessing and sharing data.

The cameras are used to watch for stolen or wanted vehicles, as well as vehicles associated with AMBER Alerts. “It’s merely the people who have criminal activity associated with their car,” Hayman points out.

When a camera detects a suspect vehicle, it quickly notifies the Clinton Police Department.

“It’s almost instantaneous,” the chief says.

The information is wirelessly transmitted to a central management server at the police department, then is pushed out to mobile units. It’s also shared with the State of Mississippi’s Fusion Center, a centralized location which collects, analyzes and distributes law enforcement information.

The lease will cost $41,000, and the City hopes to be reimbursed from the state’s Wireless Assessment Program, which funds public safety wireless communications systems and related equipment.