CRANBERRY TWP — An effort by the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office to create a network of license plate reading cameras across the region will now help township police.

During a meeting of township supervisors Monday, the board voted unanimously to approve the installation of fixed license plate readers at the intersection of Route 228, Route 19 and Freedom Road.

According to Jerry Andree, township manager, the roughly $40,000 cost for the cameras will be paid for by the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office.

Andree said Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala is working to build a network of more than 50 communities that have similar systems. Adams and Jackson townships recently received cameras as part of the program, as did the Seneca Valley School District, Andree said.

The cameras will be mounted on the traffic poles at the Cranberry intersection in a similar fashion to the traffic cameras already in place. Andree said the cameras will have plenty of opportunity to be put to use, as roughly 110,000 vehicles each day travel through that intersection.

“That is the number one or number two busiest intersection in Western Pennsylvania,” he said.

The cameras will constantly be in operation, and police officers will be alerted when a license plate associated with a warrant for a person travels through. Andree said the database of plates is also searchable.

The stationary cameras are in addition to a mobile system consisting of mounted readers that are on a few Cranberry Township police vehicles.

Monday's meeting was also a reorganizational one, with Chairman Dick Hadley and Vice Chairman Mike Manipole being reappointed to their positions by a board vote. The board made several additional appointments, including re-appointing Andree as township manager.

The next meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Jan. 31.