Garner police use surveillance cameras to find suspects involved in Wake County crash that injured a toddler and an adult

GARNER, NC – Using automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras, Garner police were able to locate three suspects involved in a Sunday evening crash that injured a toddler and an adult in Wake County.

ALPR cameras – also called flock cameras – helped police track down the car along Junction Boulevard and Tryon Road.

Police found three handguns in the car. The driver did not stop when Garner police attempted to pull him over and he crashed about two miles later.

In 2022, the City of Garner began using Flock cameras. The program cost the city $39,375 to implement, with annual costs of $37,500.

Since 2022, Garner Police Department flock cameras have transmitted 384 alerts, of which 256 were considered successful.

A success means that the police have found a missing person, a stolen vehicle or a wanted person.

Since 2022, Garner Police have received 191 reports of stolen cars, of which 144 have been recovered. As for wanted persons, they have received 95 reports and found 40 of those persons.

Garner Police Captain Chris Adams called the ALPR cameras a “force multiplier.”

“It helps us have more eyes in different locations,” Adams said.

Garner police have about 15 ALPR cameras in town. They don’t record in real time, Adams said.

Police say ALPRs help catch criminals and find missing people and can prevent more crimes before they happen.

“These people have committed crimes in other areas and are coming here,” Adams said of Sunday’s incident. “Most likely they could commit crimes here in Garner as well.”

Adams said the ALPR cameras do not record in real time. He also said police are not looking for minor traffic violations.

There are several other law enforcement agencies in central North Carolina that use ALPR cameras. These include the Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office, Nash County Sheriff’s Office, Knightdale Police Department, Raleigh Police Department, and Roanoke Rapid Police Department.