Mt. Airy’s Police Department believes two new license plate readers would serve as a major benefit to the city and for revenue. But after weighing the cost of between $26,000-29,000 per device at a regular meeting Monday, Nov. 4, council members tabled the item to consider at a later time.
If approved, license plate readers would be mounted on at least two Mt. Airy police vehicles. The readers, which would come at an annual cost of about $4,500 for service and maintenance, would have the capability to capture motorists’ license plates and alert officers if the tag was expired, belonged to a stolen vehicle, wanted suspect, or connected to a missing individual.
Mt. Airy Police Chief Jamie Bowden said the new technology would be a major asset to his department in “solving crimes and deterring criminal activity.”
“The main purpose for (the readers) is to make sure everybody is safe,” Bowden said.
While the plate readers do capture an image of a person’s tag, Bowden said they do not store data in a centralized system as Flock camera systems often do.
The two quotes considered by town officials – both of which were around the same cost –came from companies Vigilant and Geo Tech.
If officials proceed with the purchase, funding is expected to come from American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Council members and Bowden agreed to see about a free 30-day trial with the readers before a decision is made.
