MT. JULIET, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Mt. Juliet Police Department is considering transitioning to a new vendor for license plate recognition cameras.

Tyler Chandler, Deputy Chief of Police for the MJPD, said the switch to Flock Safety would help lower costs and guarantee that plates are read more accurately. The contract will include 80 LPRs across the community. Chandler said the city is also entering into a private gateway camera partnership with area businesses, which means that when there's a crime in progress at a nearby business, officers can view those LPR cameras.

"I don't want anyone in our community to be a victim of any crime," Chandler told News 2. "We work hard every day to limit those occurrences of crime in our community and we're going to keep at it. We're grateful for the use of technology that allows us to ensure our community remains safe."

Also included in the plan is a drone first-responder program. The drones would be mounted on buildings in the community — like fire stations — and when there's an active call for service, the drone could be on scene to provide video data back to Mt. Juliet's communications center. Officials said drones can help them determine whether or not to deploy officers.

Chandler said it takes anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour to send a helicopter to a corresponding scene, but a drone could get there in minutes and assist with suspect searches and public safety.

The contract for the new Flock Safety cameras goes before the Mt. Juliet Planning Commission on Monday. The second reading for approval will be June 23.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/middle-tn-neighborhood-news/mjpd-looks-to-upgrade-lpr-network/