Princeton Police credit Flock license plate readers (LPR) for helping to solve a May 21 shooting call at the community pool in 700 block of Dry Gulch Way in the Winchester Crossing subdivision.

“Utilizing outside agency resources, we were able to obtain full license plates of two of the suspect vehicles which has resulted in nine arrests, five guns being seized, heroin, methamphetamine, fentanyl, marijuana, cocaine, and THC being taken off the streets,” Sgt. Carolyn Crawford said in proposing that the city add more LPR cameras to its existing system. 

The city had used federal money from the American Rescue Plan to purchase the Vigilant Platesearch platform from Motorola Solutions.

“Vigilant is beneficial due to it being utilized by wrecker services, apartment complexes, business garages and city streets,” Crawford said at the Monday, June 9, meeting of the Princeton City Council. “Flock is utilized in city streets, and highways primarily.”

The detective asked council for permission to apply for a grant from the Texas Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Grant Authority to obtain six Flock cameras linked to the system’s database. The grant would pay 80% of the $20,000 cost, leaving the department to fund $4,000.

Crawford said the cameras would be positioned along U.S. Highway 380, not only helping Princeton Police, but agencies from the surrounding area.

“It sounds like a very important piece of technology that could help us in the future,” Councilmember Terrance Johnson said as council approved the resolution authorizing the department to apply for the grant.

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By Bob Wieland | [email protected]