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Controversial license plate readers used to dismantle child trafficking ring in Taylor

TAYLOR, Mich. – Police in Taylor are revealing how they took down a child trafficking operation using a form of technology some people find controversial.

Taylor police worked alongside the Department of Homeland Security in the sting operation.

Law enforcement officers posed as kids on a website and grown men -- including a teacher from Wyandotte schools -- reportedly set up rendezvous for sex with who they thought was an underage person. Instead, they were tracked as they entered the city of Taylor and arrested. The department partnered with Flock Safety, a company that makes cameras that read license plates and more. 50 have been deployed across the city of Taylor.

Police said the cameras helped them track seven men who reportedly set up meetings with minors by reading their license plates as they drove into Taylor. The suspects’ locations were then relayed to police, who were waiting for them.

Related: Law enforcement agencies collaborate to arrest 6 people in Macomb County human trafficking operation


About the Author
Shawn Ley headshot

Local 4 Defender Shawn Ley is an Emmy award-winning journalist who has been with Local 4 News for more than a decade.

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