Cameras above Sugar Land scan for criminal activity

High-tech crime-fighting tools are now hovering above parts of Sugar Land.

"People ask is there something wrong or going on in my neighborhood, and no. It's just a deterrent that we put out there," Sgt. Eric Pino, with the Sugar Land Police Department, said.

The latest addition to Sugar Land police is a pair of mobile trailers equipped with cameras for video surveillance and license plate readers.

"It picks up license plates off stolen cars or plates involved in major crimes or missing people," said Pino.

All of it is designed for crime prevention and investigative purposes.

"If we have a crime or something happens and we got a timeframe, we can come back a review the tape and see if we have any suspect information or suspect vehicle driving by or anything like that," Pino said.

"Often when they're standing here, in people's minds they're going to be like, 'oh is there going to be a cop,' so they'll be careful," resident Aziz Mitchani said.

"People think they're getting away, we can check it and next thing you know we may be knocking at their door with a warrant and to talk to them," said Pino.

The new trailers cost about $90,000 apiece and have been on the streets for about three months.

They've already helped in several cases and led to the arrest of a half a dozen criminals.

"The criminals learn ways to defeat what we try to do and we have to step up do something and this is part of it," Pino said.


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