By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
The Great Bend City Council had their first public discussion about a city-wide surveillance camera system and license plate readers the police department is considering.
Great Bend Police Chief Steve Haulmark told the governing body at this week’s work session the project is designed to enhance policing capabilities.
The license plate readers, located throughout town, would allow for alerts for stolen vehicles or vehicles driven by people suspected of being involved in criminal activities.
"For example, it can search for a tag, all California state tags or all white trucks," said Haulmark. "It also notices vehicles with damage. If there was an accident, you can look for vehicles with damage. If it has driven through that camera area, you'd have it."
The plate readers could be placed in police patrol cars or as static devices throughout the city. Haulmark said more than 10,000 vehicles travel across 10th Street, or Highway 56, each day. Great Bend City Administrator Kendal Francis said there are probably a lot of criminals that pass through the city every day.
"We had a recent burglary case that was resolved, in large part, due to license plate readers from other states," said Francis. "They were able to track it through license plate readers."
The city also discussed smart cameras positioned around town that would include face and vehicle recognition capabilities to help deter, track and solve crime.
To get the project started, the city considered putting $50,000 towards the purchase and looking for grants and private funding. The city council was in consensus that the surveillance had value but to prioritize other city projects at the moment.