GTPD Aims to Share License-Plate Reader Costs

Gloucester Township is moving forward with a plan to enter into an agreement with Runnemede, Pine Hill and Bellmawr to share costs associated with the police department's existing automated license-plate reader program.

The shared-services agreement was discussed during Monday night's Township Council work session.

The three towns' police departments would run their license-plate readers through the server housed in the local police station under the agreement, according to Gloucester Township Police Department Chief W. Harry Earle.

Earle indicated each town to join the agreement would pay to cover costs to maintain the township-owned server. They would also pay for both software-maintenance and software-licensing fees associated with the program.

Gloucester Township police have been using a license-plate reader since December 2011. It added two more in May, at a cost of about $32,000, and credited the technology with the arrests of two alleged bank robbers in July.

It is possible more towns will join the shared-services agreement, Earle said.

"We're kind of evaluating how much data we bring in. We generate a lot of data, so we're a little cautious. Maybe possibly a couple of more," he said. "When we get these other towns on and see how much data we're producing, and then we'll decide if the server can handle the space."

Council President Glen Bianchini noted the technology has allowed police to identify and detain wanted individuals who would have otherwise driven through town without being detected.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Jersey last week announced it had requested records from 21 New Jersey law-enforcement agencies, including state police, seeking information on how they use the license-plate readers to track and record people's movements.

Gloucester Township's was not among the 21 police agencies from which the ACLU requested those records. In Camden County, records were sought from just Camden and Cherry Hill police departments.

Similar requests were submitted by ACLU in 38 other states.