TOMMY LOVING

Another crime-fighting tool will soon be available to local law enforcement after action taken Thursday by Warren Fiscal Court.

County magistrates voted unanimously to approve the request of the Bowling Green-Warren County Drug Task Force to purchase and install an Advanced License Plate Reader (ALPR) system from Georgia-based Flock Group Inc.

The purchase, at an initial cost of $52,250 and with an annual contract renewal of $39,000, will give the drug task force and other local law enforcement agencies access to 13 ALPR devices designed to advance criminal investigations.

“This will assist the drug task force and help our parks and schools, so it’s a great investment,” Warren County Judge-Executive Doug Gorman said.

Drug Task Force Executive Director Tommy Loving said 11 of the 13 ALPR devices will be permanently installed along “major thoroughfares” while two others will be movable.

Tod Young, the drug task force deputy director, said the ALPR system is already being used effectively in other Kentucky communities.

“This system is being used in Glasgow, Owensboro, Louisville and Lexington,” Young said. “It has been used to recover stolen vehicles and in child abduction cases. A number of Amber Alerts (child abduction emergency alert) have been cleared using this system.”

Young said the ALPR device can “record a fingerprint of the vehicle” and enter information into a database.

“This will be available to all law enforcement entities, and it will give them access to information throughout the United States,” he said. “At a time when manpower is short, this is a force multiplier for us.”

Warren County Sheriff Brett Hightower is on board with the system.

“We have been able to utilize the ones in Louisville when some stolen cars from this area ended up in Louisville,” he said. “It automatically flags that vehicle when it’s observed.

“There are a lot of very positive impacts we’ve already seen. I’m excited about it and look forward to seeing how it can help us.”

Young said the ALPR system is “still in the implementation process” but should be operating soon.

The magistrates approved a number of other spending items Thursday, including:

•$25,000 to SOKY Marketplace for sponsorship of the Duncan Hines Days festival.

•$4,676.31 to Barren County Business Supply for office furniture for the parks/Operation PRIDE liaison employee located at the public works department.

•$4,450 to Newcastle Fence for construction of fencing at Phil Moore Park.

•$5,471.75 to Leitchfield-based EFI for guardrail replacement on Iron Bridge Road.

•$2,867.32 to South Central KY Heating and Cooling for replacement of the air conditioning unit in the property room of the Warren County Regional Jail.

The next Warren Fiscal Court meeting is scheduled for Thursday, July 25 at 9 a.m. in the county courthouse.