New Haven uses new Infared Scanners to Catch Criminals

The city is using a new weapon to track down criminals and tax delinquents: an infrared scanner that reads license plates and connects to a database of police and tax records. The city will use the scanner to determine if property taxes are owed on the car, or if the car is stolen, has a stolen license plate or is not registered or insured. Police and tax collectors said they would tow cars that show up as delinquent until the owner pays up or gets his or her car properly insured and registered. New Haven, with a population of about 125,000, would be among the first municipalities to use the technology. Arlington County in Virginia reported success with parking ticket scofflaws and tax delinquents using such devices. [more ]