License plate readers and surveillance cameras will soon be installed at two busy intersections in Leetsdale.
Council recently authorized an agreement with Florida-based PlateSmart Technologies for the devices as part of a state grant-funded project through the Quaker Valley Council of Governments.
Police Chief Dan Raible said they will be installed at the Broad Street overpass at the Industrial Park and the intersection at Beaver and Main streets near the Leetsdale/Ambridge border.
The devices can track all four directions — north, south, east and west.
Raible expects the plate readers and cameras to have a positive impact on investigations and result in the borough assisting other law enforcement agencies.
“Pretty much every police department that has a subscription through this will be able to access all of the cameras on the system,” Raible said. “They have been found to be a huge help in solving a lot of crime.
“If you have enough information, you can put it into the system for a possibility of a suspect vehicle as far as color, license plate. They’ll tell you pretty much wherever that vehicle’s been throughout the system at any point in time at certain locations so you can locate any suspect vehicle that might have been involved in a crime.”
PlateSmart is the same system Ohio Township, Sewickley and other Allegheny County communities use.
Raible thanked state Rep. Valerie Gaydos, R-Allegheny, for helping to get funds for the project.
The QVCOG was awarded $100,000 through the Department of Commercial and Economic Development’s Keystone Communities Program to purchase and install automated license plate reader systems at five intersections within the region.
No matching municipal funds were required.
“This funding was awarded as a regional effort to assist our regional police departments,” said executive director Patrick Conners. “The QVCOG encompasses nine police departments in total.”
Other intersections projected to get the devices include Route 65 at Elizabeth Avenue in Avalon, North Balph Avenue at Lincoln Avenue in Bellevue and River Road at Route 65 in Glen Osborne.
The COG will also cover one year of the PlateSmart subscription service. Participating municipalities will be responsible for that annual cost and related fees moving forward. The annual cost is about $9,500.
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“The QVCOG has administered all of the backend paperwork and agreements that are required by the Keystone Communities Program,” Conners said.
Leetsdale’s grant distribution was listed at $29,232. Glen Osborne was $19,571. Bellevue was $16,612 and Avalon was $14,320.
Glen Osborne is covered by Sewickley police.
Sewickley Police Chief Dave Mazza said his department has steadily expanded its use of its camera system since 2016.
Currently, there are devices at the intersections of Chestnut Street and Route 65, Broad Street and Route 65, Thorn and Broad streets and various intersections along Beaver Street.
“I have a pretty nice system and a lot of cameras,” Mazza said. “It is our most useful law enforcement tool. It’s been extremely instrumental in solving numerous crimes that we’ve had, some serious. It was very instrumental in developing suspects in a home invasion we had in 2019 that ultimately led to arrests and convictions.”
Mazza said it also helps when addressing accidents. He encouraged other communities to sign up for the service.
“It is imperative to us in this day and age to have that to assist us when we do have to deal with a crime or a traffic accident or something of that nature,” the chief said.
Mazza said he hopes to install the new devices by the end of the year near the Glen Osborne/Haysville border.
Michael DiVittorio is a TribLive reporter covering general news in Western Pennsylvania, with a penchant for festivals and food. He can be reached at mdivittorio@triblive.com.