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Traffic cams are nothing new, as they have been in use for a while now. However, street cameras have gotten more sophisticated, and many cities are even adopting license plate readers. In fact, they are common in other parts of central Texas, and now, The City of Austin is using the technology to track cars. So far, this has been a great tool to aid law enforcement in finding bad actors. 

The use of traffic cams and license plate readers is growing

According to KXAN, The City of Austin’s new program for traffic cams is now up and running. In particular, the city has adopted license plate readers and has about 40. Before this, the system had been in a pilot stage in order to work out any kinks with the new technology. The pilot program started in March of this year. 

This new use of traffic cams is a part of Austin’s Flock camera program, which has now been updated to help protect the privacy of drivers. With the policy, the system for the license plate cameras can only hold data for a week. Under the pilot program, the system held onto the data from the cameras for up to 30 days. Police officers will also have to undergo yearly training sessions to use the system for the new street cameras. 

Other parts of central Texas have been using this form of traffic cams for a while now. For example, The Pflugerville Police Department has about 28 license plate readers, which are also called Flock cameras. Since 2022, the technology has helped police recover 153 stolen vehicles. Additionally, they have cleared 132 warrants, arrested 211 suspects, and seized several stolen items. 

A representative for the Pflugerville Police Department said, “Since implementing the technology, our community has experienced a significant reduction in incidents such as vehicle burglaries, shoplifting, and catalytic converter thefts. Additionally, we’ve witnessed a notable increase in the apprehension of suspects involved in stolen vehicle cases, warrant arrests, and the successful recovery of stolen vehicles.”

Only time will tell how much criminal activity The City of Austin will uncover with the new system of traffic cams. 

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MotorBiscuit Contributor

Barnell Anderson

Barnell Anderson joined the MotorBiscuit team in 2023. After earning a Master of Arts in English from Louisiana Tech University, Barnell found his way into automotive journalism. He’s been writing about the automotive industry since 2021, creating vehicle comparisons and discussing reliability and vehicle safety ratings for various outlets, including HotCars and SlashGear.