Sheriff Austin Garrett
There will be 121 license plate reader cameras placed around Hamilton County, Sheriff Austin Garrett said.
He said the city, county, Red Bank, East Ridge and the Chattanooga Housing Authority are cooperating on the $1,184,929 project.
The fixed LPRs are in addition to mobile readers that are in all Sheriff patrol cars, Sheriff Garrett said.
The cameras are being purchased through Motorola, which has a state purchasing contract.
Sheriff Garrett said the cameras help detect if a vehicle is stolen. He said they can also be used in helping catch a fleeing crime suspect by entering a particular tag number in the system and alerting for it.
He said, "These cameras are proving very effect in detecting stolen vehicles."
County Commissioner Warren Mackey said he had concerns about the cameras violating privacy rights.
The sheriff said data is erased off the cameras after 90 days and the information cannot be shared with a third party.
Commissioner Gene-o Shipley said, "The only privacy rights that will be violated are the people who ought to be in jail."