By Mary O’KEEFE

Los Angeles County Sheriff Dept. deputies out of the Crescenta Valley Station were alerted to a felony suspect using the Flock Safety system.

The suspect was wanted on felony charges out of Monrovia regarding an attempted kidnapping and human trafficking case, said Sgt. John Gilbert of the CV Sheriff’s Station.

The male suspect’s vehicle was located by Deputy Gorgyan who requested back up.

According to LASD, when additional units arrived the vehicle was stopped near La Cañada Flintridge City Hall, One Civic Center Drive and the suspect was detained without incident. Monrovia law enforcement responded and took the suspect into custody.

The Crescenta Valley Station, the City of La Cañada Flintridge and Flock Safety entered into a partnership in 2020 in which numerous Flock Safety cameras were deployed throughout the City of La Cañada Flintridge. The cameras use automatic license plate recognition technology that can read the plates of passing vehicles, according to a LASD release.

“It can read license [plates] during the day or night, at any speed,” said Sgt. Gilbert in an earlier interview with CVW.

The plates are read and if the car has been reported stolen or if the vehicle plates are connected to an owner who has an outstanding warrant for arrest it will notify the station within 30 seconds to a minute, Gilbert added.

He said the system is not intended to be used in locating minor crime offenders, like those with overdue tickets.

“It’s only for serious felonies,” Gilbert said.