License plate reader alerts Niceville police to stolen vehicle

NICEVILLE, Fla. – The Niceville Police Department yesterday reported it was alerted to a stolen vehicle in the city by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) new license plate reader system, leading to the arrest of the juvenile driver and a passenger that had an outstanding warrant through the OCSO.

The department praised the license-plate reader system in a press release following the arrest.

“Without the technology of the license plate readers, it is very likely that the vehicle would not have been recovered and returned to the owner, especially less than 7 hours after the report was made. Situations like this are the reason we decided to install the license plate readers,” stated the Niceville Police Department.

According to the press release by the NPD, the OCSO received a report of a stolen vehicle at around 8 a.m. yesterday. The vehicle information, including the license plate, was entered into the Florida and National databases as stolen.

Shortly after 2 p.m., NPD officers were alerted that the stolen vehicle had passed by a license plate reader in the city. With this information, officers were able to locate the vehicle and its occupants.

“We appreciate your privacy. The license plate readers are not in place to track your every movement as we have read on social media,” the department said in the release.

“The license plate readers do not have the ability to tell on you for speeding or running a stoplight and you will not be mailed a ticket if you do so in the proximity of a license plate reader. This system is installed to catch criminals, locate missing persons, and aid investigations such as the homicide that occurred last month, and it worked very well today.“

The statement by NPD went on to say, “We urge you to not believe everything you see on social media. If you have any questions, please reach out to us. We have nothing to hide!”