Chattanooga City Council Approves Funding for License Plate Readers

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The Tennessee Conservative Staff –

Chattanooga makes another move towards becoming a SMART city as leaders work to get new license plate readers set up on the roadways soon.

The Chattanooga City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve the automated license plate readers (ALPRs). They will be placed on state routes after the Tennessee Department of Transportation signs off on the list of proposed locations.

The ALPRs will cost approximately $400,000. Expenses will be covered by a state violent crime intervention grant, approved by the city council. 

The plan will push for a joint effort between the Chattanooga Police Department, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, and other law enforcement agencies in the area.

Lt. Tim Tomisek claims the readers will make the department more efficient. He says they will be better able to locate missing persons, resolve Amber Alerts, and capture those responsible for violent crimes.

“This is just an extra tool to help us play a little more offense,” Tomisek told the Times Free Press.

Many oppose the new system, worried that the readers are going to feed even more into the city becoming a “surveillance city.”

Others are concerned that it could lead to unwarranted targeting of individuals in lower income neighborhoods or that it will end up costing the city more money than it is worth in the long run.

Similar programs have been a source of controversy in other Tennessee cities. Nashville residents and lawmakers alike continue to be divided on the issue, although the mayor has since approved the use of readers in the city.