Roughly 18 months after installing a license plate reader in an area plagued with crime, the Marietta Police Department says the camera has contributed to a decrease in crime and helped police capture a suspect wanted on robbery and aggravated assault charges.

The results of the trial run of the license plate reader used by Marietta police have propelled the department to buy more of the cameras made by Flock Safety.

Crime rates dropped 34% between July 2018 to March of this year in the area of Bells Ferry Road at Williams Drive, the location where Marietta police installed the trial license plate reader. By comparison, McPhilamy said the department experienced a 12% drop in violent crimes across the city in 2018.

McPhilamy added the department does not view the cameras as a magic bullet in crime fighting, but as ingenious devices that would help officers solve cases and find offenders hiding in plain sight.

“We’re hoping the public will embrace these cameras,” he said.