Cameras to be Mounted in Intersections

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Newtown Township Police Chief John Hearn said cameras mounted on the arms of traffic signals in four of the area’s busiest intersections will be on the lookout for drivers who should not be driving.

“Wanted subjects, missing persons, stolen license tags, Megan’s Law violations, terrorists watch lists,” he said, listing what might be identified, “that’s what the database searches out.”

And is one of those subjects is suspected, police in this Bucks County, Pa.. town will be on it.

“When that data is tagged, when we have an alert for that particular vehicle stop that vehicle with due process and due cause.”

A $151,000 Platelogiq advanced license plat recognition system recently was purchased by Newtown Township and will be installed in four intersections: Sycamore and Swamp, Newtown Bypass and Richboro Road, and Newtown Bypass and Durham Road in Newtown Township, and Route 413 and Second Street Pike in Wrighstown Township.

Hearn said cameras will capture the license plates of every vehicle passing through the intersections and tag any in the NCIC nation criminal justice database. The vehicle name model and color also will be provided by the system.

The cameras will cover both lanes of traffic day and night, and an integrated high-power infrared illumination provides accurate identifications during low light, high-speed conditions.

Hearn said a federal grant already received by Newtown Township police will cover installation of the system, as well as operating expenses over the next five years.

License plate images will be retained by police for a set period.

“If it doesn’t hit, it disappears in 30 days,” said Hearn. “If I get a hit on your license plate as unregistered, it will stay in there for 60 days. If there’s a criminal investigation on the license plate, we’re going to keep it indefinitely until the case is closed.”

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License plates will be checked as vehicles pass through intersection.Photo bySusan KirschonUnsplash