New Jersey is ready to make use of $10 million in COVID-19 aid funding to develop the state’s license plate recognition expertise in an effort to curb a spike in automobile thefts all through the state over the previous yr, state officers mentioned on Friday. 

The funding might be used to buy automated digital camera methods to seize and retailer pc photos of license plates in a database for regulation enforcement to entry. The expertise might be put in all through the state, in each mounted places and on cell items. 

The general objective of the funding, Gov. Murphy mentioned, is to scale back the charges of automobile thefts and different violent crimes which have spiked in each city and suburban areas of New Jersey for the reason that pandemic started in early 2020. 

The state noticed 14,320 vehicles stolen in 2021, an all-time excessive over the past 5 years. New Jersey has seen a 37% improve in automobile thefts since 2021, and a 53% improve since 2020. Stolen vehicles are additionally incessantly related to different violent crimes, like shootings, mentioned Lawyer Common Matthew Platkin. 

“The alarming uptick we’re seeing in automobile theft is unacceptable, and our administration is making investments to fight these occurrences statewide,” mentioned Gov. Murphy. “To assist regulation enforcement on this endeavor, an funding in ALPR expertise will present them with the instruments they should scale back these incidents and make our communities safer.” 

The ALPR expertise is already being utilized in city areas, however the funding will develop its utilization in suburban areas to assist regulation enforcement in investigating automobile thefts and lowering the general fee of theft and different violent crime. 

Extra funding might be allotted to the New Jersey State Police for extra cameras on main roadways all through the state. Info from these cameras might be shared with regulation enforcement in actual time to be able to help in investigations of crime, together with automobile theft. 

“The allocation of those monetary sources to extend the usage of automated license plate reader expertise is, fairly, merely, a recreation altering second by way of our investigative skills,” mentioned Colonel Patrick Callahan, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “This funding will undoubtedly assist fight the rising variety of motorized vehicle thefts and related rise in violent crime.”

Opponents to the choice embrace the New Jersey Coverage Perspective, a left-leaning suppose tank, whose coverage analysts imagine that utilizing funding earmarked for COVID-19 aid on expansions for regulation enforcement should not be completed in any respect, or not less than with discretion.

“American Rescue Plan funds have been meant to assist households and communities harmed most by the pandemic, to not develop police powers,” Marleina Ubel informed NJ.com. “Any form of police entry to surveillance expertise the place they will then retailer that data shouldn’t be completed in any respect, or not less than with nice discretion, as a result of we all know we’ve a tradition of policing on this state that has resulted in New Jersey having the primary black-white disparity in incarceration within the nation.”

In March, Platkin and New Jersey State Police Colonel Patrick Callahan initially responded to the uptick in automobile thefts by increasing the state’s auto theft activity power. Platkin introduced on the time that the state would use $125,000 in funding from the federal Justice Help Grant to bolster the duty power’s sources, together with further regulation enforcement and gear upgrades. 

In 2021, the State Police reported 3,075 arrests involving acquired stolen property. Amongst these arrested for receiving stolen property, 211 have been concerned in 377 shootings, and 285 have been arrested with a firearm, Platkin mentioned. 

In one other shift to the state’s response, New Jersey will as soon as once more enable police to make the most of automobile chases for automobile theft. 

The overhaul of the state’s use-of-force coverage got here in December, and automobile thefts and drug offenses have been among the many record of crimes through which police weren’t allowed to make use of automobile chases to trace down suspects. Legislation enforcement have been solely allowed to pursue suspects for stolen vehicles if that they had additionally dedicated a extra violent crime. 

The choice to return on that call comes because the state is dealing with this uptick in automobile thefts, and native regulation enforcement believes that the acts have gotten extra “brazen.” 

“We’ll allow pursuits primarily based on the fee of a number of further crimes — automobile theft and receiving a stolen automobile — not less than via the tip of this yr, after we will consider the impression of this variation,” Platkin mentioned. “These adjustments will give regulation enforcement the instruments they should meet the second and to guard our communities whereas additionally being aware of the inherent dangers that come to officer security and to the general public after we do interact in police pursuits.” 

Officers renewed their reminder to residents that they need to verify and ensure their automobile doorways are locked, and make sure that key fobs usually are not left contained in the automobile. Platkin mentioned that almost all automobile thefts happen when key fobs are left within the automobile, making it a lot simpler to steal.