New CPD license plate readers to help curb carjackings

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson unveiled Tuesday a new tool officers can use to help reduce the number of carjackings in the city.

The mayor's office said 200 new License Plate Reader police cars will soon hit the streets. The technology helps officers quickly identify and recover stolen cars by matching license plates to vehicles on a list of stolen cars.

The city's overall strategy to reduce carjackings has resulted an 18 percent decrease in incidents and a 31 percent increase in arrests, compared to last year, officials said.

In 2018, there were fewer murders, shootings, robberies and car thefts in Chicago than the year before, officials said. It was the second consecutive year where the city saw an overall reduction in crime.