Delaware Police use new tool to catch felons

Pictures of wanted felons in Delaware will now be displayed on a new digital billboard along I-95.

Delaware State Police are taking advantage of technical advancements in the world of outdoor advertising to catch wanted felons.

Gone are the days of just hanging a wanted poster in the Post Office.  Now, thousands of drivers on I-95 will be able to see who is wanted by the State Police.  Superintendent Col. Robert Coupe says it’s vital for the department to identify new technology tools that can help investigators do their jobs.  “Equally important is our ability to develop professional working relationships with businesses and corporations in the private sector so that we can share resources to better serve the citizens of our state.”  The use of the billboard is being provided by Clear Channel Outdoor.  The police messages will rotate among other advertisers messages on the sign.  It’s one of the company’s roughly 130 digital billboards in use nationwide.  The company says the billboards have helped police capture more than 30 wanted suspects around the country.

Senior Cpl.  Jeff Whitmarsh was the driving force behind using the billboards in the First State.  He says the new billboards will help police serve crime victims better, by demonstrating the efforts investigators are taking to find criminals.  “The fugitives will be up on average between two weeks and a month, and then we’ll cycle them out with new fugitives, hopefully because we’re catching them, ” said Whitmarsh.

The sign can also be adjusted to highlight an Amber alert or other information in an emergency situation.

The billboard can be seen on I-95 northbound between Rt. 896 and Rt. 273.