PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Temple University police arrested a burglary suspect wanted out of state by using new technology installed on campus.
Jahid Robinson, 20, of Delaware County, is accused of breaking into at least three homes in Wilmington, Delaware, while the occupants were sleeping, and stealing from them.
Robinson was arrested after New Castle County police were alerted he was on Temple’s campus by a newly implemented license plate reading technology called Flock.
“He’s a habitual vendor known to police in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. Because of the efforts of Temple University Police Department, he is now in custody,” said Dr. Jennifer Griffin, head of Temple University’s Department of Public Safety. “He has been extradited, and he has been charged with our partners at the New Castle County Police Department.”
The Flock technology is a service installed on existing campus security cameras that scans license plates on passing cars.
The system alerts the proper law enforcement authorities when it recognizes a wanted plate.
Congressman Brendan Boyle secured a $250,000 grant for Temple to purchase the technology.
“To come full circle and be here today, to see the fruits of that labor actually lead to an arrest is really incredibly exciting,” he said.
The American Civil Liberties Union is critical of the license plate readers because the companies collect data on innocent drivers.
An additional $1.2 million in grant money has been earmarked to increase security at Temple University.