On 1/18/2012, at approximately 12:00 P.M., the Gloucester Township Police Department were utilizing their new Federal Signal Automated License Plate reader, which was placed into service mid December of 2011.
The "ALPR" is mounted on a marked Police Interceptor that is operated by the car's mobile computer. The system reads license plates and compares it to a list of violations and/or wanted/stolen vehicles. Since being placed into service the system has read over 80,000 license plates resulting in excess of 20 arrests for wanted persons, along with over 300 motor vehicle summonses issued for suspended registations and license violations.
During this date and time, the ALPR alerted Gloucester Township Police officers, who were using it as part of an enhanced traffic enforcement operation, of a stolen motor vehicle that was travelling on Blackwood- Clementon Road. A motor vehicle stop was then initiated on that vehicle as it pulled over into The Birches Apartment Complex, located in Lindenwold, NJ. The operator, Turhan Ways, was taken into custody without incident and the vehicle was recovered. He was charged with Receiving Stolen Property and was also a wanted Fugitive from Justice out of the Camden County Sheriff's Office and had several traffic warrants for his arrest. He was remanded to the Camden County Jail. The passenger, Shamar Land, was also taken into custody and charged with Unlawful Taking of Means of Conveyance. He was released with a pending Camden County Superior Court date.
Accused:
(1)Turhan Ways, Age 27, 1300 Block of Morton Street, Camden, NJ 08104. He was charged with Receiving Stolen Property, 3rd Degree Crime. Remanded to Camden County Jail.
(2) Shamar Land, Age 26, 1200 Block of Yorkship Square, Camden, NJ 08104. He was charged with Unlawful Taking of Means of Conveyance, 4th Degree Crime.
