Assemblyman Karl Brabenec (R,C,I-Deerpark) announced today that up to $340,000 will be distributed to the Town of Ramapo to install license plate readers in and around the Hamlet of Monsey in Rockland County. The increased security is in an effort to catch the suspect who attacked Jewish worshipers during Hanukkah this past December.

Automated license plate readers are high-speed, computer-controlled camera systems that are typically mounted on street poles, streetlights, highway overpasses, mobile trailers, or police squad cars. This technology automatically captures all license plate numbers that come into view, along with the location, date, and time. The data, which includes photographs of the vehicle, is then uploaded to a central server and relayed to police agencies across a wide area. The expanded Hate Crimes Task Force will evaluate requests from other municipalities for similar technology.

“The attacks on our Jewish friends in Monsey were absolutely repugnant. Every resident deserves to feel safe, especially when practicing their religion,” Brabenec said. “This new funding is critical moving forward to stiffen security measures in Ramapo using state-of-the-art traffic technology and deter any future threats. We are a strong and resilient community and I am confident that we will heal and overcome this atrocity together.”