Police Issues Lead Discussion at Baldwin Borough Meeting

License-Plate Recognition

Mayor Alexander R. Bennett Jr. urged Baldwin council members on Tuesday night to finalize the purchase of license-plate recognition software for .

The recognition system is composed of two cameras mounted on the trunk of a police car. The system is capable of reading and making photos of 2,300 license plates per minute of vehicles as they pass by. Plate numbers are then cross-referenced with police databases for stolen cars or other issues.

"We can also build our own (local) database," Baldwin police Chief Michael Scott said.

Scott said that during its testing, the system also alerted officers to a dementia patient who had taken a car and not come home. For this reason, Scott believes that there are multiple applications for the technology, including help with missing-persons cases.

"I want it for officer safety," Bennett said.

One issue, Scott said, is that "the computers in the car are too slow. We will need to purchase a cheap mobile computer."

While money is not a factor—the equipment would be purchased with grant funds—some council members expressed resistance and skepticism about the system's effectiveness.

"I'm not convinced that this is something we really need," said council President Michael Stelmasczyk, who was under the impression that the system had been used ineffectively at the .

"We didn't get that system (at Leland Point)," Scott said, explaining that the equipment being discussed was not in use at the complex as Stelmasczyk believed.

Stelmasczyk said that it had been publicized that the equipment was currently being used at Leland Point. He said that it should be looked into why the equipment was not used there.

"We promised that Zappala's office would have that," Stelmasczyk said, referring to Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr., whose office was previously involved with the rehabilitation of Leland Point.

Other Baldwin council members said that whether or not the equipment led to actual arrests is not something that the council could know.

"I don't know that council could be made aware of (those details)," council member John Ferris said.

New Police Lieutenant Search

Baldwin Borough will be holding testing on Aug. 8 as its next step in hiring a new police lieutenant. The Baldwin council passed a motion on Tuesday night to restrict contact between council members, the mayor or the police chief, and candidates for the position.

"The council has decided to use a consultant, Joe Gamble, to conduct the oral interviews," Stelmasczyk said.

"Council will not have any contact after Aug. 8."