Beaver County

Ambridge Borough to install license plate readers at intersection, some residents unhappy

BEAVER COUNTY, Pa. — Beaver County District Attorney David Lozier says he is glad the borough voted to approve the cameras, which, he says, are going to help police keep people safe.

“As I told the city council, we have half a dozen homicides in the last 12 months where the cameras have been instrumental in identifying the perpetrator,” said Lozier.

The Ambridge Borough Council members questioned Lozier about his request to install license plate camera readers near the intersection of 14th and Duss Avenue.

Several residents who live near there say they feel as though officials are targeting low income and minority neighborhoods.

Lozier said that charge is not true.

“And that’s why this location was picked because we have internet we have someone who’s willing to pay for the cameras at that location because it’s benefits the agency it’s. It has nothing to do with the low-income residents, " said Lozier.

He says they’re already using these cameras at 45 intersections in Beaver County.

The cameras take pictures of license plates and those pictures are stored Into a database used by law enforcement to solve crime.

“These cameras are not traffic cameras. They are not red light cameras no facial recognition. These merely take an image of the back of the vehicle, get the license plate so that after a major crime takes place we can identify a suspect faster,” said Lozier

The DA tells Channel 11 that he has plans to put in even more cameras around the borough.