License plate readers popping up at Mall of Louisiana

BATON ROUGE – Ahead of the holiday shopping season, new technology is being used at shopping centers across Baton Rouge to track and combat crime.

License plate readers have been popping up all around the city, along the interstate, and now at the Mall of Louisiana due to the Page-Rice public safety initiative. So far, more than 100 cameras and license plate readers have been installed.

Clay Young is with the Law Enforcement Criminal Justice Foundation (LECJF), a group partnering with law enforcement to put up the license plate readers. He says the cameras can be pricey, ranging from $2,800 to $5,000 depending on the type of tech, and it’s up to law enforcement to decide where the cameras are most effective and monitor them.

“Hopefully, nothing happens. But if something does, we want to expedite justice as fast as possible,” Young said.

Earlier this year, law enforcement used license plate readers to track down the stolen car of a man who was murdered and dumped alongside a Tangipahoa Parish highway. TikTok personality Mr. Prada, whose legal name is Terryon Thomas, was identified as the person driving the car and he was arrested in the murder.

The cameras are also being used on the interstate to track shootings, where one has happened as recently as Sunday on Interstate 110.

“This time of the year, a lot of people are shopping, and kids are moving around,” Young said. “We just wanted to lend some assistance to law enforcement to make certain that they can keep eyes on everything.”