GAITHERSBURG, Md. (7News) — Montgomery County police are dramatically expanding the use of automatic license plate reader technology across the county, with new state records showing the department generated more than 93 million plate scans last year alone as officials tout the systems as a key crime-fighting tool.
The new Maryland filing shows the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) now operates nearly 800 automatic license plate reader units, or ALPRs, across the county.
According to the report, MCPD recorded approximately 93.2 million plate reads in 2024 — a sharp increase from roughly 52.3 million scans in 2023…