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Council hears update on license‑plate reader vehicle and intersection cameras; asks for report on outcomes
Summary
Council members were briefed June 22 on a police vehicle fitted with an automatic license‑plate reader and four standalone intersection camera locations; administration said the patrol car is operational and two intersections are active, and the council requested a quarterly or APR‑style report on stops and system effectiveness.
Council members on June 22 asked for a clearer accounting of how the township's automatic license‑plate reader (ALPR) vehicle and standalone intersection cameras are being used and what measures the police will report to show effectiveness.
Township Administrator Mark DeCarlow said the ALPR‑equipped vehicle "is totally done. It's been up and running," and that four standalone intersection units exist, with two intersections fully active and two remaining subject to PSE&G electrical work and inspection before activation. DeCarlow said the intersections provide investigative value and that the vehicle and fixed sites serve slightly different functions.
Council members asked how the systems produce measurable outcomes — for example, counts of stops, alerts, or instances where the system assisted investigations — and requested that staff determine the appropriate periodic report (a quarterly or APR report) to track success. DeCarlow agreed to investigate the appropriate reporting format and to add an update to the regular quarterly report once all systems are fully operational.
Why it matters: ALPR systems and fixed cameras raise operational and privacy questions in many municipalities; council members were focused on measurable performance and whether intersection alerts are automatically routed to police. Administration clarified that, at the time of discussion, intersections were not automatically sending live alerts to police and that the vehicle produces data investigators can use in follow-up.
Next steps: Administration will identify the correct report type and add ALPR/camera metrics to the quarterly reporting cycle once PSE&G completes the remaining electrical work and the systems are fully functional.
