Brooklyn Park to add automated license plate readers for police investigations

Police in Brooklyn Park will soon have a new tool to track and find vehicles wanted in connection with shootings, abductions, car thefts and other violent crimes.

The City Council earlier this month authorized the Police Department to enter into a $28,000 contract with Flock Safety to install eight license plate readers that use cameras to take photos of the rear license plates of vehicles as they pass by. The devices alert police about vehicles that might be connected to serious crimes, Police Chief Mark Bruley said.

The technology “is a huge step forward in that work,” Bruley said, noting it can help identify vehicles wanted across the metro when they come into the city of Brooklyn Park.

The cameras do not take photos of drivers’ faces, Bruley said. Nor will they be used to issue citations for speeding, parking or equipment violations. But the cameras can identify the color and type of vehicle and other features such as if a vehicle has damage, the chief said.

Several agencies that already have the system have shared information with Brooklyn Park police and “we have solved many of our violent crimes through this system,” Bruley said.

The Eden Park Apartments installed the system on its own, and earlier this year shared information with Brooklyn Park police about a vehicle believed to be connected to a shooting. Officers tracked the suspect vehicle to Fridley and made an arrest, closing a case “that would have not been solved for who knows how long. In less than 12 hours, it was all wrapped up,” Inspector Elliot Faust said.

Bruley said only detectives can access data that will be stored for 30 days to prevent unauthorized use. An outside firm will audit usage every two years to ensure the department is following state laws.

The city has not yet determined where the cameras will go, but hopes to have them operational in the next few months.