LPD to Get Extra Pair of Hi-Tech Eyes on the Streets

If you have an expired registration, or an unpaid fine, you may want to get all that up to date. There is likely to be an extra pair of high-tech eyes on the streets of Loganville soon that will be able to detect such things, without even having to pull you over.

The Loganville City Council is considering spending $22,520 on an automatic tag reader that will be able to scan hundreds of tags per minute - as the officer is cruising the streets.

Loganville Police Chief Mike McHugh is asking to equip one patrol vehicle as a test case to see if it is worth equipping more of the fleet. McHugh said the vehicle would be able to drive through a parking lot and, without any input from the officer, the tag reader would be able to detect a tag that has some sort of a problem. It would be able to tell if the vehicle had an expired registration, if it was reported stolen or if there was any other problem that could be identified by the tag.

McHugh assured the council that the scanner only hits on tags with a problem and that the equipment does not keep records of all tags scanned.

“It wouldn’t be able to – it literally runs through hundreds of tags per minute,” McHugh said.

The equipment would be supplied by Vigilant Solutions. According to the company website, Athens-Clarke County Police Department has been using the equipment with great success. Officials were even able to identify a vehicle used in an Oconee bank robbery with the help of the tag reader and eventually track down and arrest the suspect.

McHugh said he expected more of a benefit than just being able to pick up on such things as expired tag violations. He said traffic stops often led to arrests for more serious crimes.