Great Bend receives $132K grant for license plate reading technology

Great Bend Police Chief Steve Haulmark (left) and U.S. Senator Jerry Moran announced on Monday, Feb. 20 that Great Bend received a $132,000 federal grant to purchase license plate reading technology.

By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post

With the help of U.S. Senator Jerry Moran’s office, the Great Bend Police Department was able to secure a $132,000 grant to purchase license plate recognition technology and cameras. Moran and Police Chief Steve Haulmark made the announcement Monday afternoon at the Great Bend Events Center.

RELATED STORY: Great Bend discusses city-wide surveillance cameras

Using federal resources, Moran said the grant will allow law enforcement to track criminals that drive through the city.

"This is not about stop signs or speeding," said Moran. "It's about a criminal fleeing or theft of a vehicle. Many of our communities in Kansas are now utilizing a camera that reads license plates. As it becomes more statewide, it means those criminals when they go to Ellinwood or Hoisington there's the technology that helps the police department here."

Moran is the lead Republican on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) and Related Agencies. As part of the committee, Moran helps decide where federal resources go to help local law enforcement agencies.

The federal money will allow the police department to purchase 12 cameras that will be positioned along the five busiest entrances into Great Bend. Haulmark said there will be enough funds to maintain the cameras and monitoring software for five years before the police department would have to ask the city council to financially support the project.

The police department will receive alerts if any vehicle goes through the area that is associated with criminal activity.

"If it's a vehicle that's been entered into the NCIC, the National Crime Information Center, or it's something we have flagged through a local investigation, we'll immediately get notification," said Haulmark. "Otherwise, that information is stored in the Cloud for a period of time, and if we need to go back and conduct an investigation that way, we can do that as well."

Haulmark referenced local crimes, the burglary at Mind Sculpt Games and damage to an ATM at the Credit Union, as cases that were solved with the assistance of other town’s license plate readers. Haulmark noted the City of Hoisington and City of Ellinwood are in talks of adding cameras in their cities.

(pictured left to right) U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, Great Bend City Council member Davis Jimenez, Mayor Cody Schmidt, Interim City Administrator Logan Burns, council member Jolene Biggs and Police Chief Steve Haulmark.

Last June, the city council had a discussion about a city-wide surveillance camera system and license plate readers for the Great Bend Police Department. In the end, the council decided the surveillance had value but wanted to prioritize other city projects.