University of Maryland License Plate Scanning System Could Aid Police

The University of Maryland Department of Transportation is considering expanding the capabilities of a license plate scanning system to assist police in finding vehicles that have been stolen, are owned by registered sex offenders, or are connected to an Amber or Silver alert, which refer to the disappearance of a child or elderly person, respectively.

The scanning system made its debut this summer, and while permits are still being affixed to windows, the more efficient scanners do the bulk of the work for the university's parking enforcement. University of Maryland is the first school in the country to establish such a system, said Beverly Malone, assistant director of the Department of Transportation at the university. She said the system features a scanning device similar to the ones used in a supermarket, enabling officials of the department to use the device to scan the license plates of parked cars from a moving vehicle that travels through the lots. The system then taps into a database, and when a license plate of a car that is not parked in a proper lot is scanned, the system alerts the officers doing the scanning. An officer then checks out the permit on the vehicle to confirm that the car is parked illegally and, if confirmed, the officer writes up a ticket and leaves it on the car. 

"It is more efficient and allows us to do things more inexpensively," said Beverly Malone, assistant director of the University's Department of Transportation.

David Allen, director of the Department of Transportation for the university, said that his department and the University Police Department are discussing the feasibility of tying the police into the system.

David Mitchell, director of public safety and chief of the University Police, said that the police are currently researching issues such as cost and necessary technology enhancements. Mitchell has assigned Major Jay Gruber of the University Police to do a study and report his findings back to Mitchell by the end of August. He added that once the department determines that it can afford it, and all the other issues are settled, then he will ask the university's administration for authority to use the system. 

One potential source for funding is through state grants, Mitchell said, especially considering how useful the system would be for the police.

"There is a large number of vehicles on campus and it can be a concern managing all of them," he said.

"If during their rounds the Department of Transportation officers who scan the license plates get hits on stolen vehicles, that would be something we would want to know about. If the vehicle is connected to an Amber or Silver Alert, then we will want to know about it and if a car belongs to a registered sex offender we will want to know about that too," said Mitchell. "It would pay dividends toward enhancing the safety of the campus community."