Photo by Mike Wolanin | The Republic A Columbus Police Department squad vehicle with new updated vehicle wrap.
The Columbus Police Department is upgrading its vehicle cameras with technology that scans passing license plates and notifies officers on patrol if the vehicle is linked to an investigation.
The Columbus Board of Works has approved updating CPD General Order 41: Patrol with new sections on the use of license plate recognition (LPR) technology, including mobile LPR technology.
While CPD already uses Flock Safety Co. surveillance cameras stationed along roadways to monitor plates, Deputy Chief Steve Norman said that mobile LPR technology will be a new addition to the department’s resources, with installation expected to occur in late 2023. The mobile tech will be linked into officers’ in-car cameras and be able to scan passing license plates.
“We have tested mobile license plate readers in the past, but with the price tag that comes along with it, it was quite pricy,” he said. “However, we are upgrading our mobile cameras this year, and one of the features that it has in it is the license plate reader.”
He said that the upgrade is not a major increase to the city’s existing contract with camera provider Axon, and the cameras will be installed in the late third quarter or early fourth quarter of 2023.
When a camera scans a car, the technology will read its license plate, run it through a database and notify officers if it’s linked to a case. Norman said that the system will not be used to catch speeders and will be able to alert police to the presence of vehicles linked to topics such as Amber Alerts, kidnappings, wanted individuals or murder suspects.
The updated General Order 41 states that, “Columbus Police Department uses license plate recognition (LPR) technology to assist in criminal law enforcement and public safety activities that include automated criteria created by the Columbus Police Department, Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, and other member law enforcement agencies.”
These criteria include:
- Stolen vehicles and license plates
- Suspended driver’s licenses or registrations
- Vehicles associated with wanted persons, Amber and Silver alerts, federal law enforcement information and/or criminal investigations
Agency supervisors are responsible for setting the automated criteria.
The order states that mobile LPR technology should be deployed during patrol operations, active investigations, special events or “when deemed appropriate by supervising officers.”
“The Columbus Police Department Training Sergeant will ensure and document that all officers receive LPR system training prior to using it,” the order states. “The Uniform Division Captain is responsible for ensuring that mobile LPR camera units are only used by trained officers.”
According to the order, LPR data is “exempt from mandatory release to the public under Indiana law and can be shared for legitimate law enforcement purposes only.”
Data will be stored securely and accessed through software requiring a username and password. Inquiries made through the software will only be authorized for official law enforcement purposes wherein there is “reasonable suspicion” of a criminal act.
The Board of Works also approved changes to CPD General Order 42: Criminal Investigation, including new sections regarding exculpatory material.
The order defines the term as “evidence that may be favorable to a defendant, and which tends to show that the defendant did not commit the crime with which he is charged and any material which tends to impeach the prosecution’s evidence or testimony of prosecution witnesses, including the police employees involved in the investigation of the crime.”
According to section 42.1.6, officers are responsible for notifying the prosecutor of any exculpatory material known to CPD for both current and post-conviction cases, including all felony and misdemeanor cases.
Officers with knowledge of such evidence must provide the information to the prosecutor prior to offering a sworn testimony or statement in a case. Additionally, all notifications of exculpatory evidence will be documented in the Records Management System.
“Post-conviction claims of omitted exculpatory evidence shall be thoroughly documented by the officer receiving the claim and investigated by personnel not directly involved in the original investigation,” the order states. “Findings shall be documented in the Records Management System and provided to the prosecutor.”
The updated order contains other additions pertaining to use of the Records Management System and also strikes a provision stating that detectives who are on call must remain within the county.
