Impact of license plate readers technology in St. Johns County [Video]

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — Driving around St. Johns County, you may have noticed mysterious new devices popping up by the roadside that consists of a solar panel and a camera on a black pole. 

The camera acts as a license plate reader, automatically scanning the plate of every car that passes. 

The technology is a new generation tool that law enforcement says is constantly monitoring local roads, collecting data and helping to solve crimes.

The design of license plate readers in St. Johns County is new, but the technology is not. The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office has used them since 2017 and now says it’s their number one crime fighting tool.

The Sheriff’s Office references a case where the technology led to a 2019 hit-and-run arrest on Race Track Road in St. Johns County.

“Bonnie rode her bike out everywhere,” …