With a quick scan, Baton Rouge Police Department officers can tell if a car has been reported stolen — thanks to their new license plate reader. Since its deployment in August, the license plate reader has performed 156,945 scans, resulting in the recovery of 23 stolen vehicles as of Feb. 3. The reader takes pictures of license plates on stationary or moving vehicles, sending the information to a centralized database. Within seconds, the reader can determine if the vehicle has been reported stolen. “This technology allows us to do something in seconds that would take us hours — if not days — to figure out on our own,” said Sgt. Don Kelly, BRPD spokesman. The $25,000 reader was awarded to the BRPD by the Louisiana Automobile Theft and Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority of the Department of Insurance after an application process that ranked 12 law enforcement agencies with city populations of 50,000 or more, according to a Feb. 3 news release. “The License Plate Reader is one of those tools that allow us to work smarter by taking advantage of advanced technology to stay a step ahead of criminals,” Baton Rouge Police Chief Jeff LeDuff said in the release. Kelly said BRPD has only one reader now, but they are hopeful to add more in the future. He said other new technologies, like the “bait car” — a remote-controlled mock-pedestrian vehicle parked in high-crime areas — help keep BRPD a step ahead of criminals. The “bait car,” donated by the Department of Insurance last year, alerts officers if someone is trying to break into the car. Edward Shihadeh, criminology professor, said these new law enforcement technologies are positive improvements for Baton Rouge. Recently receiving a ticket for not stopping fully before turning right at a red light, Shihadeh knows the effects of the technology first-hand. He said he’s extra careful to make a full stop before turning right on red now. “These are life-and-death issues at intersections, and these are protection of property [issues],” Shihadeh said. “These [technologies] are all things that I believe will improve our lives.”BRPD issued about 23,000 citations since the Red Light Safety Program went into effect. The Traffic Engineering Division of the Department of Public Works put 21 red light cameras at 14 intersections in Baton Rouge. Shihadeh said while some people look at the red light cameras as if “Big Brother” is watching them, the reality is very different.”What’s the downside?” Shihadeh said. “If you’re in a public place, you don’t have any expectations of privacy.” People should expect privacy in their own homes and offices, but when they are at an intersection, they are in public, Shihadeh said. The LATIFPA License Plate Recognition Program is designed to increase recovery of stolen vehicles and reduce auto theft and insurance fraud.”[The reader] is another tool we can use in our tool box,” Kelly said. “It’s not the answer to everything, but it allows us to be ahead of the criminal element.”—-Contact Kyle Bove at [email protected]