The Oklahoma Department of Transportation is asking the Pryor Police to remove license plate reading cameras, citing placement issues, despite their role in enhancing public safety.
News on 6
By: News On 6, Cal Day
Thursday, January 2nd 2025
PRYOR, Okla.- The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) is requesting the removal of license plate reading cameras that have been installed on state highway right-of-ways. A right-of-way refers to the area that ODOT maintains.
The Pryor Police Department is facing challenges due to this request, as they have multiple license plate reading cameras installed along the two highways leading into town. Pryor Police Chief Jeremy Cantrell does not believe the cameras violate anyone's rights; instead, he emphasizes that they are used to enhance public safety.
There are four cameras located in Pryor, which monitor each vehicle passing through the town by capturing images of their license plates and uploading that information into a system for police use. Chief Cantrell explains that this data has helped the department recover stolen vehicles, apprehend burglary suspects, and even aid in locating missing persons.
Given the current staffing shortages, Cantrell states that this technology acts as a vital tool for officers, enabling them to solve crimes more efficiently.
“Being down staffing levels, that gives you a tool that you can use to assist the officers in solving these crimes, and solve them a lot quicker,” said Pryor Police Chief Jeremy Cantrell
However, the future of these cameras is uncertain, as ODOT insists that Pryor police remove them due to their placement on state highway right-of-ways. According to ODOT, the use of these camera systems is only authorized for verifying vehicle insurance.
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