New license plate readers have been set up all around the city of Evansville, but what are they for?

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Automatic License Plate Readers

The Evansville Police Department received many donations and a grant for these special cameras called Automatic License Plate Readers, or ALPRs for short.  There are fifty-five of these cameras set up around the city of Evansville, but what are they for?

Will these cameras report you for speeding?

I know my first thought when I read about these new cameras was, "uh-oh, will I one day come home to a ticket in my mailbox for speeding or running a light?"  But the answer to that is no (not that I do those things intentionally, but sometimes we all have a lead foot, don't come for me).   Evansville Police Department made an informational Facebook post that said these cameras aren't set up to catch people for minor traffic violations, and they won't give officers probable cause to write you a traffic citation.

What are the cameras for?

According to Evansville Police Department's Facebook post, the cameras are to help with things like identifying stolen vehicles, they will also be able to identify vehicles that are in areas where shootings occur. These cameras will also help to quickly identify vehicles involved in missing person cases, stolen vehicles, etc...

Are these cameras in other cities?

Evansville Police Department says that these cameras are currently being used in over 2,000 cities across 40 different states.  The company behind the cameras reports a 70% decrease in overall crime reduction after using these cameras.

You can read EPD's full post and learn more about these cameras, here.