New Technology Allows Del. Troopers to Run Plates Faster

Delaware state troopers are using new technology that lets them instantly check license plates to find out if motorists owe traffic fines and even back taxes.

A trooper can now process up to 900 plates per minute.

The News Journal of Wilmington reports that previously, officers had to run the plates through the computer system one by one.

It's just one of the latest surveillance systems that law enforcement officials across the state have begun using. They range from red-light cameras to facial-recognition software.

But some privacy advocates worry about what happens with the electronic recordings. They wonder how long the data is stored, who keeps it and whether third parties get to see it.

State officials say it's treated no differently from what already is being gathered manually.