NEW ORLEANS — A spate of shootings on New Orleans interstates dating back to last year has the city’s top police officer seeking high-tech help.
This week, NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson told members of the city council budget committee that license plate readers on the highway could help solve some of these crimes.
He put in a request for a $1 million to purchase 150 automatic readers.
“Earlier this year we had several high-profile shootings along the interstate,” Ferguson said. “So, a few of these resources will be placed on those highways as well as strategically placed throughout the city.”
There have been about a dozen shootings so far this year on I-10 and I-610.
The latest happened early Monday morning when two people were shot while traveling on I-10 west, not far from the Caesar’s Superdome
Ferguson has said there is no rhyme or reason for the shootings.
But he acknowledged that some of them may be road rage related.
License plate readers would give police a record of the vehicles in the area at the time of a shooting.
That could help identify potential suspects.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell said the readers are a priority.
“As we have seen just over the past year a level of uptick in regards to violent crime on interstates,” she said. “So, enhancing license plate readers which enhances our intelligence unit, the real time crime center is imperative.”
Money for the license plate readers would come from the $77 million the city is expected to receive as part of the nearly $2 trillion American Rescue Plan approved by Congress.
“Some of the requested license plate readers will be placed at varying locations along the Interstate 10 corridor and will also replace older cameras in other areas of the city,” the NOPD said in a statement. “They are intended to provide an added measure of security for motorists and another tool for investigators to locate vehicles that have either been reported stolen or are believed to have been used in a crime.”
Wednesday night, hours after Ferguson announced the purchase, a man was shot and killed on I-10 West near Morrison Road.