By Pat Culverhouse

Minden’s police department will soon be taking a big step in adding another technological tool to help fight crime, thanks to a donation from City Marshal Dan Weaver.

Weaver recently presented the department a check for $36,000, enough to completely fund Phase 1 of the MPD’s plan to incorporate Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) at strategic locations in Minden.

MPD Detective Lt. Jason Smith, who drafted the proposal for license plate readers, said the marshal’s gift will purchase four cameras and help the department begin its plan to cover the major entry and exit points in the city.

“We’ve placed the order for the cameras and it will take a couple of months for us to get them, test them and get them installed,” Smith said. “This donation from Marshal Weaver will be a major law enforcement tool for our department.”

Weaver said he was very interested in the police department’s drive to install license plate reader cameras in Minden.

“After 35 years in law enforcement, I really see the need for our police department to catch up technologically,” he said. “When we learned they were asking businesses to help with funding, we thought it would be right for us to help. This is going to be a valuable tool for the police department and for the city.”

Smith said the first cameras will be set up at major entry and exit points throughout the city. In his proposal titled “Optimizing Law Enforcement Efficiency through LPR Technology,” Smith is seeking to place 18 ALPR cameras in key locations.

Cost of the program is estimated at $181,000, a total Smith proposed to raise through grants and donations.

“This donation from the Marshal’s Office is a great start,” Smith said.

Chief of Police Jared McIver said the purpose of the ALPR is to assist officers to identify a vehicle and license plate that may have been involved in a crime.

“These cameras are a crime solving tool, not something to catch people speeding or to invade their privacy,” McIver said. “There are statistics from many agencies that prove how effective and efficient these license plate readers can be.”

When a crime occurs, an ALPR can identify the vehicle and license plate and immediately enter that information into a nationwide data base for identification.

Smith said the license plate reader program is a part of Chief McIver’s plan to bring the MPD more in line with advances in technology.