Fuchs: New Technology Prevented a Burglary

The Redding Police Department’s  likely prevented a burglary in town last week, Police Chief Douglas Fuchs said earlier this week.

“My sense is that hit by that license plate reader and that ultimate arrest stopped a burglary or robbery in town,” Fuchs said Monday.

After the license plate reader—which scans license plates and matches them up against a hit list of sorts which contains plates that have violations against them—found the plate on a Honda Odyssey to have been stolen out of Danbury, , of Norwalk, last Wednesday.

Further investigation showed the vehicle he was driving was stolen out of Bethel. Tarantino allegedly stole the license plate from a separate Honda Odyssey to give the appearance that the plates matched the vehicle.

“This is a perfect example of how that license plate reader stops crimes,” Fuchs said.

Tarantino, who has an “extensive criminal history,” Fuchs said, was charged with larceny of a motor vehicle (larceny in the second degree), theft of a license plate, driving without a license and operating an unregistered and uninsured motor vehicle.

acquired the technology late last year. Since January 1, Fuchs said, the department has issued 129 tickets for unregistered motor vehicles, 29 tickets for drivers operating with suspended licenses and 273 tickets for insurance violations.

“That is an outstanding number—it shows that the problem exists,” Fuchs said. “We are getting drivers and vehicles off the road that shouldn’t be there.”

Fuchs said the new technology didn’t cost taxpayers a dime, as the equipment was obtained through grants.