On Monday, the Piedmont Police Department was alerted to a stolen vehicle by an Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) system, as first reported by the department in a social media post. The vehicle, a white Mitsubishi, had been carjacked earlier in Oakland and was connected to an individual reportedly armed with a rifle.
As the pursuit unfolded, with the Oakland Police Department hot on its heels, the Mitsubishi meandered its way into Piedmont. Caught in a chase, the vehicle eventually crashed into the El Cerrito gate near El Cerrito Ave. and Jerome Ave., subsequently ending the chase. According to the social media announcement, only a gate arm suffered minor damage during the ordeal. A rifle was found at the scene, and both the driver and an adult female were detained.
The suspects were turned over to the Oakland Police Department. Recovering the firearm, Oakland officers secured the scene, providing a swift conclusion to the incident without further disruption. In the social media post, the Piedmont Police Department revealed that the rapid apprehension of the suspects was aided by the alert from the ALPR system, a technology that seems to have proven its worth in urban policing.
