Latest news with #ALPRS
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Yahoo
Shorewood police pursuit, crash; 2 charged, wanted for smash-and-grabs
The Brief Two people have been criminally charged following a pursuit and crash in Milwaukee County back on Feb. 25. The pursuit started when Shorewood police were notified of a stolen vehicle, which was wanted in several "smash-and-grabs." The pursuit ended with the vehicle crashing into the Milwaukee River. SHOREWOOD, Wis. - Two people have been criminally charged in connection to apolice chase of a stolen SUV that started in Shorewood and ended with a crash into the Milwaukee River on Tuesday morning, Feb. 25. 27-year-old Kelsey Oliver, of Florida, faces the following charges: 1st-Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety (2 counts) Operating a Vehicle to Flee/Elude an Officer, Causing Bodily Harm or Property Damage (2 counts) Resisting or Obstructing an Officer 43-year-old Cachita Smith, of Georgia, faces one count of possession of methamphetamine. What we know According to the criminal complaint, on Feb. 25, just after 11 a.m., a Shorewood police officer was near Morris and Capitol when an ALPRS (Automatic License Plate Reader) got a hit on a stolen vehicle. The vehicle was a silver Jeep Wagoneer and showed it was stolen, according to the Grand Chute Police Department, and also wanted in several smash-and-grabs around that area. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android The officer followed the vehicle until another squad was able to join in for a high-risk traffic stop. Once the other squad was present, they activated their squad lights and sirens and the vehicle pulled over near Richards and Abert in the City of Milwaukee. The complaint goes on to say that the officer got out of his squad and drew his firearm to conduct a high-risk stop on the vehicle. The driver, later identified as the defendant, Kelsey Oliver, rolled down the window and looked out at the officer. The officer commanded Oliver to turn the vehicle off and throw the keys out of the window, but Oliver did comply and kept asking "what's the problem." The officer issued the command again and, at that point, Oliver put the vehicle in drive and fled southbound on Richards Street. What we know The complaint goes on to state that a pursuit ensued. The pursuit lasted about two miles and involved the vehicle reaching speeds of 75 mph on city streets, speeding through a Walmart parking lot, driving into the oncoming lanes of traffic, and running a stop sign. The pursuit ended when the vehicle drove through a residential driveway and fence, and crashed into the Milwaukee River. The complaint goes on to say that a woman got out of the passenger door, later identified as the other defendant, Cachita Smith, followed by Oliver. Police ordered both Smith and Oliver to stop. Smith stopped but Oliver kept running south along the river bank. Officers checked the surrounding area but were unable to find Oliver at that time, but he was arrested at a later date. When police searched the vehicle, they found multiple credit cards listed to several different people, UnitedHealthcare cards listed to different people, and a marijuana grinder. Police searched Smith, who revealed her State of Arizona Prisoner ID Card. During the search of her purse, officers found three bags of suspected marijuana and pills that tested positive for methamphetamines, per the complaint. The backstory Shorewood police were later contacted by a West Bend detective who said that the suspect vehicle was wanted by several different agencies for smash-and-grabs and that the suspects were originally from Florida. A check of the Wagoneer revealed that it was rented from Enterprise Rental in Tulsa, Oklahoma and was never returned, and was listed as stolen. The Wagoneer was damaged by the pursuit and crash, per the complaint. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News What's next Both Kelsey Oliver and Cachita Smith had their initial appearances in court on March 5. Cash bond was set at $25,000 for Oliver, and $1,000 for Smith. Both are due back in court on March 14 for their preliminary hearings. Court information notes that Smith is also wanted in the State of Pennsylvania, and has a status conference related to her extradition scheduled for March 26. The Source The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office sent FOX6 the criminal complaint. Court information is publicly available on the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access website.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
New license plate readers helping Pueblo sheriff's office combat car theft and other crime
Pueblo County sheriff's deputies recently acquired 73 Mobile Automated License Plate Recognition systems (ALPRs), giving them a new tool to search for stolen vehicles, stolen license plates, missing persons, and vehicles that may be involved in the commission of a crime. 'This is another great tool that our deputies now have at their fingertips to assist in identifying stolenvehicles and helping with criminal investigations,' Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero said in a news release. 'We have had this technology for less than a month and it is already making a positive impact on our efforts to locate stolen vehicles and stolen license plates.' The ALPRS have been installed in each marked patrol vehicle as part of its dash camera unit. The system can read up to three lanes of view regardless of whether vehicles are traveling with or against the path of the patrol vehicle, according to the release from the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office. The system reads the numbers and letters on the license plate with a detection distance of up to approximately 1 mile. The camera captures pictures of a vehicle and its license plate and then compares the plate to several different state and national crime databases. If a stolen plate or vehicle is detected, deputies receive an alert, both audibly and visually, through the onboard camera system of a 'hit' through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). The process of reading the plate, clearing NCIC and notifying the deputy is less than a second. Deputies must visually confirm what state the license plate is from to determine if a hit is valid locally, according to the release. Since going live with the new readers on Feb. 14, sheriff's deputies have received 177 hits, resulting in two recovered stolen vehicles and seven recovered stolen license plates. License plates can be stolen individually for a number of reasons, according to the PCSO. Most commonly, they are stolen to avoid detection in a stolen vehicle, including during the commission of other crimes and to hide the identity of the perpetrator. After reading a license plate, the information can be stored for up to 180 days. The data can be used as an investigative tool for law enforcement for uses such as "identifying vehicles that fail to yield, narcotics investigations into vehicle locations, identifying theft and burglary vehicles, and identifying the travel path of a vehicle of interest," according to the release. Information obtained from the license plate readers can be shared with other law enforcement agenciesupon request and review. 'This technology is a useful tool for our deputies in tracking down stolen vehicles and vehicles ofinterest in other crimes, but I want to be clear that deputies must verify the information obtained fromthe reader before taking any enforcement action,' Lucero said. License plate theft is a Class 2 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 120 days in jail and/or a $750 fine. While the penalty for motor vehicle theft varies by degree, which can change depending on aggravating factors such as damage to the vehicle and/or repeat offenses, the crime is almost always a felony, carrying a penalty of at least one to three years in prison upon conviction. Pueblo County recorded 1,642 auto thefts in 2023 and 1,088 in 2024, according to the Colorado Stolen Vehicle Database. In 2023, Pueblo police recorded 1,933 car thefts. In 2024, that number dropped to 1,357. More on car thefts: Car thefts dropped nearly 30% in Pueblo last year. What's making the difference? Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin at jreutterma@ Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @jayreutter1. Support local news, subscribe to the Pueblo Chieftain at This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Colorado sheriff's office fighting vehicle theft with new plate readers
