GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The city will spend $104,616 of Transformation Fund money on police car camera systems that can continuously scan vehicle license plates and look for matches in databases of criminal warrants and parking scofflaws.

Grand Rapids City Commission voted unanimously this morning to use revenue from the voter-approved income-tax increase to pay for automated license plate recognition technology. Four 3-camera systems should be installed on patrol cars later this year.

Police say the cameras will speed their ability to look up license plate numbers, helping them catch criminals. Cops also will partner with the 61st District Court and the city’s treasury and income tax departments to crack down on motorists with outstanding fines.

Over five years, the camera systems are projected to generate a net revenue increase of $237,901 to the city’s general operating fund. Plus, police believe the systems will create intangible value by improving police efficiency.

“We’d have three cameras mounted either underneath or beside the light bar on the top of cruisers,” Grand Rapids police Capt. Dave Kiddle said. “(The system) is scanning plates going by you. It’s amazingly quick. The camera actually takes a picture of each car it scans, the plate itself and the rear of the vehicle.

"If it gets a hit (on the database), it will pop up the picture and explain what the hit is for. The officer does nothing (up to that point). It basically eliminates them pushing in plates."



RELATED: Parking prosecution: See how Grand Rapids plans to collect more than $300,000 in unpaid fines

City police estimate that the average cop can check 50 to 100 license plates per shift. The new technology can scan about 5,000 plates per shift.

Kiddle said the technology during a 60-day trial located 8 percent of vehicles with at least six city parking tickets. Police also plan to use the technology to identify motorists with warrants for city income tax evasion and other crimes.

Among many recommendations, a consultant's report advises Grand Rapids police to start using license plate recognition technology. City Manager Greg Sundstrom called the technology "the coolest thing you've seen in a long time." Commissioners agreed, though questioned whether the cameras might pose privacy concerns for motorists who haven't done anything wrong.

“Is it ‘Big Brother?’ I suppose you can think of this that way," Kiddle said. "It’s just a matter of doing (police work) more efficiently and quicker.”

Said Grand Rapids police Sgt. Jeff Collard: “You’re scanning these plates in public spaces and you’re not obtaining any personally identifiable information" from a plate or back of car.

To ease privacy concerns, police said they would craft a policy to deal with storing data from the cameras.

Email Matt Vande Bunte, follow him on Twitter or be his friend on Facebook.