Wednesday, April 25, 2007

[USA] System scans license plates, talks to officer / Dallas Morning News, 15 April 2007
http://digbig.com/4srss
RICHARD ABSHIRE
"Mesquite: Database of stolen cars, sex offenders checked
"It's like putting four extra officers in a squad car who are extremely alert and have perfect memories," said Mesquite Police Chief Gary Westphal.
His department is the first in Texas to get the system, a combination of cameras and computers that "remembers" every license plate number it "sees" as an officer cruises the streets or the parking lot lanes at Town East Mall. The system also records a colour photograph of the vehicle, with the date, time and location as determined by Global Positioning System satellites.
And it checks each plate number against databases that include stolen and wanted cars and registered sex offenders. When it gets a hit, a robotic voice alerts the officer – just as KITT did."