The police soon will have a four-camera system that can snap pictures of one license plate per second, per camera -- and instantly run them through local and national crime databases.

The Automated License Plate Recognition System will be installed in one police vehicle to capture moving or stationary cars and identify those that may be stolen, wanted in connection with a crime or part of an Amber Alert.
"It can do so much more in seconds than an officer can do," Police Lt. Jay McMurray said. "It's extremely fast ... the computer covers more space to get the job done and bring that car up."

The City Commission recently approved the $36,645 purchase, which is being financed through forfeiture funds, or money or property confiscated from criminals.

McMurray said the system should be operational in late April. The Broward Sheriff's Office already uses a license plate recognition system and Margate is considering getting one, according to representatives in those departments.

It hadn't been decided yet whether the system will be installed in a marked or unmarked vehicle, he said, but it will be used during all shifts.

The system's computer goes into the trunk of the car, and the officer uses a screen and keyboard to look at the images.

Four cameras, programmed to recognize the shape of a plate, are mounted on the vehicle's roof and positioned to face all four directions.

"If I'm driving down the street or through a parking lot, the camera keeps clicking and taking hundreds and hundreds of pictures," McMurray said. "An alarm sounds when it finds a wanted plate."

The system also alerts the officer of a partial plate match.