Ottawa Police say their new automatic license plate reader is working out well.
Const. Jon Hall with the Traffic Escort and Enforcement Unit said they used the device during a blitz on Heron Road Friday morning.
"The sergeant was calling out plates to the officers down the road. It's was nonstop," he said. "Between speeding, speed enforcement, looking for distracted driving and the Automatic License Plate Reader, we couldn't keep up and we were about eight officers."
He said they had to let some people go.
"I mean the ultimate goal is to make the roads safer right? The goal isn't to charge as many people as we can, it's that visibility as well," said Hall. "Those people that we do let go, hopefully have seen us and it was enough of a reminder, 'hey, maybe I should get off my phone or slow it down a bit.'"
Hall said they laid 20 charges over an hour and a half period and caught four suspended drivers.