COBB COUNTY, GA — Cobb County commissioners have unanimously approved a new contract to continue operating the county’s network of license plate reading cameras; a move officials say is critical to law enforcement efforts.

The $213,000 agreement with Flock Safety ensures that more than 70 cameras stationed across the county will remain active. These cameras play a key role in collecting real-time data used by the Cobb County Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center.

Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer has credited the technology with dramatically improving policing and public safety.

“The only word I know to say is astounding — and the second word, immediate,” VanHoozer said earlier this month. “We’ve caught homicide perpetrators from metro Atlanta, we’ve seized guns we would never have seized. It’s gang members we would never have taken into custody.”

The camera system automatically scans license plates and alerts officers to vehicles linked to crimes. Data from the system is shared across agencies and used to track down suspects quickly and efficiently.

WSBs Ashley Simmons contributed to this story