Cumberland County uses grant to install license plate readers on sheriff cars

Three 6-inch cameras mounted to two Cumberland Coutny Sheriff’s Office cars can sign license plates of parked cars, passing cars and cars stopped at intersections. Though officers will still have to manually scan the plates of cars stopped in front of them, Officer John Schweibinz calls the cameras “unbelievable.”

They’re part of a Homeland Security grant the county received, and are two of the six systems being installed on officers’ cars in Vineland, Millville, Bridgeton and the prosecutor’s office, too.

The News of Cumberland County reports the cameras can store the plate photos for future use, and they’ve already come in handy to catch a driver rolling around the streets with an expired registration. More than 80 violations were found in the first three weeks.