ST. LOUIS (KMOX)- The Illinois State Police says the recent addition of automated license plate readers on Illinois interstates is helping investigators solve highway shootings.
The agency says it's been able to identify suspects and find witnesses in 82% of interstate shootings this year.
"The number has certainly gone down over the past few years," said Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly on Total Information A.M. Thursday. "One of the things that we can attribute to the number of shootings going down is the presence of automated license plate readers. It is really amazing and game-changing technology."
The Automated License Plate Reader in Illinois is designed to capture an image of a vehicle's license plate. The reader's software would then compares the license plate with multiple law enforcement databases like the Department of Homeland Security, and the Illinois Secretary of State (SOS), and National Amber Alerts.
"You can see which vehicles were at this time, at this location, when a crime has occurred on the interstate," said Kelly. "You can also see what cars might've been in the vicinity that are witnesses. You take that license plate reader information, see the license plate, affiliate that with who it belongs too and then you can start to develop some investigative leads."
Kelly says that the readers have not only help reduce shootings on the interstate, but other types of crimes too.
"We all use the interstate to come to and from the state, crime is the same," said Kelly. "Criminals are using the interstate to commit their crimes and this technology has been very very helpful for us to be able to detect and deter and be able to protect public safety and pursue justice."
Kelly says despite the amount of help the readers have helped reduce crime, the readers are very restricted when it comes to the use of them, with the data from the license only gets saved for 90 days - per Illinois state law.
"We are balancing the power of law enforcement with the limitations of law as you should," said Kelly. " When the Tamara Clayton Expressway Camera Act was passed, there were several restrictions put in there so this is limited to largely violent crime. This is not something we are using for speeding. These are not speed cameras. This is not what it is for."
To learn more about the safeguards in place when it comes to automated license plate readers in Illinois, you can click here to learn more.
Illinois State Police installed license plate reader cameras on interstate highways in Saint Clair County last year. They intend to place them in Madison County this year.