Gwinnett County police this week will begin using three automatic license plate readers that were recently purchased for $20,000 each using drug forfeiture funds.

Mounted on a patrol car, the device lets officers scan up 1,800 license plates per minute, day or night. It recognizes plates from all 50 states, Canada and Mexico. It can process parked and moving vehicles for up to four lanes of traffic in any weather.

It then compares tags with millions of records, aiding police in witness identification, capturing criminals and tracking suspects.

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Austin Walters died from an overdose in 2021 after taking a Xanax pill laced with fentanyl, his father said. A new law named after Austin and aimed at preventing deaths from fentanyl has resulted in its first convictions in Georgia, prosecutors said. (Family photo)

Credit: Family photo