The Spokane County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) has found a way to get more eyes on the streets by using its mobile camera systems. These are retired patrol cars with cameras mounted on top. And they've been catching people's attention.
Sheriff John Nowels said the mobile camera systems help deter crime across the county and save taxpayer dollars.
The cameras keep watch over the neighborhood they're stationed in. The solar technology allows them to remain in the field for at about 40 days. All while the camera feeds are monitored, when needed, at the county's Real-Time Crime Center.
"It allows us to potentially collect evidence in high crime areas and use 'Automated License Plate Readers' technology to help us solve crimes," Nowels said.
He's talking about the Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) system, which alerts law enforcement of vehicles of interest.
"It's like having a cop sitting on the street corner that recognizes every car that goes by but has a perfect memory of every stolen vehicle or every vehicle of interest in their brain, and can automatically pick it out and identify it," Nowels said.
The sheriff said these mobile camera systems are making a significant impact on violent crime and vehicle theft cases.
In May, the sheriff said the ALPR system helped deputies track down a burglary suspect. Investigators identified the suspect car as a gray Porsche, and the owner was a 15-time convicted felon. The same evening the burglary was reported, the system spotted the Porsche in Liberty Lake and alerted deputies. Then, officers searched the area and arrested the suspect during a traffic stop.
The same system helped Spokane police locate a drive by shooting suspect in Deer Park.
The mobile camera system is similar to mobile camera trailers. You may have seen them in business parking lots or construction sites to deter theft. Spokane Valley invested in a few of these trailers a few years ago. They cost about $80,000 a piece.
But some resourceful staff in the sheriff's office found away to build the same set up for only $15,000.
"I'm so proud of the employees who put that together, who took the initiative and said, we think we can do this," Nowels said. "In many ways, I think we've exceeded the capabilities of some of the other commercially available products."
The sheriff said it all adds up to more eyes on the street, to help prevent crime.
The sheriff's office currently has two of these mobile camera systems deployed. They expect to add two more in the near future.