Butler City Council approved the purchase of four license plate readers for $7,800 that will be installed at two intersections to aid in police investigations.

Police Chief Bob O'Neill said leftover grant money will pay part of the cost. Donations and funding from the county District Attorney's Office will cover the rest of the cost. The $2,000 annual fee for operating the devices will also be shared, he said.

He said the readers will be used for investigative purposes and not for enforcement of traffic laws.

“They real-time capture license plates,” O'Neill said.

The readers are the biggest advancement in law enforcement since computers were installed in police vehicles, and they are already in use throughout Western Pennsylvania, he said.

Readers do not automatically issue citations for traffic violations, O'Neill said. The units take photos of vehicles and license plates, and vehicle occupants sometimes appear in the photos, he said.

Officers can use the system to find photos of a vehicle after they enter the license or description of the vehicle, he said.

Read more about what other business occurred during the Butler City Council meeting in Friday's Butler Eagle.