License Plate Scanners Give Sacramento Deputies Edge On Finding Stolen Vehicles

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - A new crime-fighting tool is solving cases and catching bad guys on the roads, even before law enforcement can step foot outside their patrol cars.

CBS13 was there to witness the new technology in action as deputies made an arrest.

The camera scans license plates as law enforcement drives by and alerts them when a car connected to a crime is found. However, there is controversy surrounding the technology.

CBS13 was at the scene when Sacramento County sheriff's deputies caught up to a reported stolen SUV. It's been spotted before, but it was always one step ahead of authorities.

The arrest was made after the technology alerted deputies the SUV was nearby.

"I'm hunting for stolen cars. That's what I do. I work auto theft and it is a hunt," a deputy said.

Deputies have been using license plate scanners for the last year to find stolen cars, sex offenders, wanted parolees or any cars connected to crimes. The cameras simply read license plates, and then check them against local and state law enforcement databases.

And now, the scanners can cross reference license plates with the FBI's National Crime Information Center, which is the largest database in the nation. Now, even cars on terrorist watch lists can be found.

Earlier this year, privacy rights groups filed a lawsuit against two police departments in Los Angeles County, saying it violated people's privacy because the cameras record the time and location of cars.

Local attorney Jeff Kravitz says some wonder where the data gathered by a third party is being stored and who can access it.

"This massive pool of data being compiled by these private organizations, I think, is troublesome to people," he said.

The scanners are made by Vigilant Solutions, and company Vice President Brian Shockley insists plates are scanned, but no personal information is ever collected.

"That database is exclusively for law enforcement," said Shockley. "The data we're collecting is purely anonymous data."

The system alerts law enforcement the car is wanted, but the officer must still run the plate for information on who the vehicle belongs to, and why it's wanted.

"You're not hunting for the people, you're hunting for the car," the deputy said.

The technology has helped find thousands of stolen cars nationwide. On Wednesday alone, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department says the scanners helped deputies locate more than 25 cars, and make as many arrests.

Deputies also helped reunite an owner with her car Wednesday, as well as find a car linked to a missing persons case.

The department has about 15 patrol cars with the license plate scanners.