Atlantic City to get 120 new automated license plate readers
The New Jersey State Police are set to receive more than $1.4 million in state and city funds to install automated license plate readers around Atlantic City, New Jersey, state Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced last week.
The funds will cover the purchase and installation of the 120 new license plate readers, often called ALPRs, in and around Atlantic City roads, according to the city’s announcement. Atlantic City officials began planning the project last May, and the cameras should be installed and deployed in fixed locations over the next several months, the announcement said.
More than $1.1 million comes from the local government services division of New Jersey’s Department of Community Affairs and more than $273,000 comes from the city’s Casino Reinvestment Development Authority.
The state police plan to share information picked up by the new readers with other law enforcement agencies in real time via the agency’s regional operations and intelligence centers.
While the technology has been in use in New Jersey for the past 14 years, the state government has recently ramped up spending on the readers, including $10 million in grant funding last year for 34 local law enforcement agencies to install new automated systems.
New Jersey updated its ALPR usage policies in 2022 with a directive from the attorney general. The directive, which builds on the state’s original 2010 policy, established agency ALPR coordinators, decreased the retention period for ALPR data from five years to three years and mandated an annual audit of each agency’s ALPR program.
“Reducing auto theft and violent crime is my number one priority, and the ALPR technology that we are investing in as part of this initiative is crucial to help law enforcement detect, respond to, and solve crimes,” Platkin said in last week’s announcement. “Atlantic City is an iconic part of our state, and I am grateful for the current and ongoing support of the Department of Community Affairs, the CRDA, and the NJSP as we work together to make it a safer place for our residents and visitors.”
Patrick Callahan, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, called the devices “indispensable” and cited their ability to aid in rapid response and deter crime.
