(TNS) — As Houston public safety leaders continue to decry what they say are staffing shortages, the police department has come to rely on a license plate scanning technology more than any other city in the country, the acting chief said at a recent hearing. Houston now leads the nation with more than 3,800 license plate reading cameras, acting Police Chief Larry Satterwhite said at a hearing on the department's budget for 2025. And the technology is showing promise in helping investigators close cases.
"It's been tremendously helpful," he said. The cameras track license plates on vehicles and notify law enforcement of any past links to crimes. While law enforcement experts in Houston and elsewhere have praised the technology for helping investigators solve crimes faster and more efficiently, it doesn't come without controversy, as some civil rights groups have voiced concern about how the technology stores data and intrudes on peoples' privacy.
Law enforcement experts across Harris County praised the promise of the Flock Safety cameras, saying they make a difference in solving crimes. The cameras have helped investigators solve some high-profile shootings across the Houston area in recent months, including the shooting of rapper BTB Savage. "The days of chasing criminals the old-fashioned way is over, we're not on horses anymore," Lt.
Mike Santos, a sheriff's deputy, said in an interview after the East Aldine Management District announced plans to spend $1 million on 60 of.
