LCSO using high-tech license plate readers to keep the community safe

Small cameras you might not even notice are solving crimes and keeping the community safe in Lee County.

We are talking about license plate readers, and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office says their readers are top-notch.

“If we’re looking for a suspect, crime analysts and real-time crime center can put a partial tag in, it’ll hit throughout the intersections and we locate our bad guys,” said Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno.

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Marceno knows just how far the technology has come over the past 28 years he’s been in law enforcement.

“The days of responding, writing a call down on a piece of paper, opening a map and finding your way are long gone,” Marceno said.

LCSO’s Real-Time Intelligence Center, or RTIC, is where analysts monitor tons of data, including the License Plate Recognition Software or LPRS.

“It’s utilizing technology to do the best you can as quick as possible,” Marceno said. “All hands on deck for a cohesive effort not only just on the road but having analysts and technology help you on that road every single day.”

LCSO uses dozens of readers at intersections and points of entry in and out of Lee County, and of course, deputies can run plates in their cruisers, too.

LCSO deputies were able to catch three teens for stealing cars and fleeing after getting a hit on the plate of a stolen jeep.

• READ MORE: Teens accused of stealing cars in Lehigh Acres

“If we need to know where someone is, [and] if they’re doing something wrong, it’s seconds and a click of a fingertip. Deputies can respond, and we’ve seen huge success or multiple cases because of this technology,” Marceno said.

LCSO continues to use technology to improve safety. Whether you see it or not, it’s always out there.