ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. — Hardin County law enforcement officials are eager to expand a network of subscription-based cameras used to help solve crimes.
"For the past several years, we've had to do more with less," Sheriff John Ward said on Monday.
The cameras take pictures rapidly as vehicles pass by, usually capturing the license plate — like the one of a stolen vehicle with a 7-month-old baby in the back seat.
"I look at it as putting a whole lot more cops on the street," Radcliff Police Department Chief Jeffrey Cross said.
Elizabethtown Police Department Chief Jeremy Thompson called it like putting up "a virtual fence."
Since the installation, Thompson said the cameras have helped in 175 instances. For example, a stolen vehicle showed up at the intersection of Ring Road and Dixie Avenue. Once the cameras flagged it, Elizabethtown Police was able to recover the vehicle.
Data from the cameras is stored for 30 days, then deleted, unless it's part of an investigation. An officer's request for that information is then logged by the company. They're required to provide a reason for the search. Vehicle details, like the make, model and color, or a license plate, are the only things they can search for.
A recent bill, HB45, has the potential to regulate these license plate recorders in Kentucky, but Flock Safety's existing business model would still be allowed if the law passes as-is.
RELATED: Kentucky bill seeks to restrict police departments' use of license plate readers. Here's why.
The Hardin County School district is helping to expand the network by funding 20 cameras on or around their campuses.
Local law enforcement will still monitor the equipment, but School Resource Officers will be able to submit requests to the police to access the data. They could also tell the department to flag certain license plates or vehicles, so a notification is sent out if they show up at any of the schools.
Superintendent Teresa Morgan said the notice could've helped during a 2018 incident where Kentucky State Police shot and killed a man who showed up, armed, at one of the schools to pick up his son after murdering his wife.
"This would've probably saved two-to-three minutes. In certain situations, that could've been the difference between life and death, to be honest," Morgan said.
The school district will decide at the end of their two-year contract if they want to continue funding the cameras, which are $3,000 a year each.
The Hardin County Sheriff's Office is hoping to expand the network and want businesses to help front the cost and place them nearby. If you're interested, contact the police department by clicking here.
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