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UCF to photograph license plate of each vehicle at school entrances

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The University of Central Florida Police Department said it will soon begin photographing the license plates of each vehicle at the main campus' six entrances and exits.

Officials said the readers will record the location, the date and the time of the photograph.

UCF police Chief Carl Metzger told Channel 9 on Thursday that he hopes the license plate readers will help thwart crime on campus.

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"Think of us as an island in the sea of Orange County, and there are six bridges onto this island," he said. "We want to know when we have criminals coming onto our island."

Metzger said a grant paid for $300,000 of the cameras' $350,000 cost.

"These license plate readers will let us know if someone is driving a stolen vehicle that's been flagged because it's been involved with criminal activity or if the person associated with that vehicle is wanted for something serious," he said.

Freshman student Sky Schwartzreich said he has mixed feelings about the cameras.

"I don't want them watching everything we do at all time," he said. "But it's still kind of cool they will watch who is coming on campus and making sure we are safe."

Metzger said the program is still in a pilot phase.

He said the readers will also be installed at the parking garages at the university's new downtown Orlando campus.

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