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LOCAL NEWS
New cameras track drivers in Shawnee Co. neighborhood
by: Matthew Self
Posted: Jun 3, 2024 / 11:31 AM CDT
Updated: Jun 4, 2024 / 09:55 AM CDT
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SHAWNEE COUNTY (KSNT) – Drivers in and around Topeka may be noticing the arrival of new electronic surveillance cameras keeping a watchful eye on traffic.
27 News reached out to sources with the City of Topeka and Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office (SNSO) to learn more about these special cameras and their purpose. While many of these devices are currently active around the city, several are currently being set up on streets in the Montara neighborhood south of Topeka.
SNSO spokeswoman Abigail Christian responded to 27 News with a written statement regarding the installation of the devices in Montara. Referring to them as “traffic monitoring devices,” the cameras appear on short poles with a solar panel at the top.
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Deputy Shayna Anderson with the SNSO told 27 News the installation of the devices began on May 20, 2024. Eventually, the devices will be installed at multiple high-traffic intersections and roads around the county.
The sheriff’s office is using these cameras to help monitor traffic in the neighborhood in an effort to increase safety in the area. Namely, the devices are being used for criminal investigations and search efforts to find missing people.
“These devices are part of an existing, and much larger, traffic monitoring network currently being enhanced across Topeka and Shawnee County. These devices are used to monitor traffic in major intersections and roadways, and are not for used for the issuance of traffic citations. These devices assist law enforcement in the identification of stolen vehicles, detection of vehicles used in the perpetration of criminal acts, and investigation of missing persons. Just like all advancements in law enforcement technology, these tools must be used lawfully and responsibly, with the overall goal of making Shawnee County as safe as possible.”
SHAWNEE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE SPOKESWOMAN ABIGAIL CHRISTIAN
City of Topeka spokeswoman Rosie Nichols also confirms in a written statement that similar devices are already located around the Capital City with some being permanently installed while others can be deployed as needed on Topeka Police Department (TPD) vehicles. In total, the TPD maintains 25 license plate readers (LPRs) with 20 stationed at intersections around the city and five attached to patrol cars.
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Nichols said the LPRs are placed at locations based on traffic and accident volume, patterns and the latest crime trends. Similar to the devices being installed in Montara this year, the LPRs are used for crime investigations and locating the subjects of Amber Alerts and Silver Alerts.
“LPRs use a combination of hardware and software. The hardware includes a camera placed in public areas. The camera views images and the software locates and segments the individual characters of a license plate from the camera images. The license plate characters are then processed and checked against a national safety and crime database. If the license plate matches one in the database for an Amber Alert, Silver Alert or violent felony, an alert is sent to an officer. The officer must first verify that the license plate is the same plate listed in the database. If it is confirmed to be a match, an officer can then initiate an interaction with the vehicle.”
CITY OF TOPEKA SPOKESWOMAN ROSIE NICHOLS
Groups like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have opposed the installation of automatic license plate readers for their ability to capture photographs of thousands of license plates per minute. Arguments used by the ACLU include a lack of rules surrounding the technology, little or no oversight and not enough protections for the privacy of drivers.
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In the 2021 Legislative session, Senate Bill 305 was introduced for the purpose of requiring Kansas law enforcement agencies to adopt detailed written policies around the use of LPR technology. The ACLU of Kansas opposed this legislation, arguing in its testimony the bill did not go far enough with ensuring Constitutional and civil liberties are not violated. SB 305 would later die in committee in 2023.
For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.
Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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