Albemarle County, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Albemarle County Deputy Chief of Police, Major Randy Jamerson joined Morning News to discuss public safety, sharing insights on severe weather preparedness and law enforcement technology. When speaking about winter storms, he emphasized the importance of early preparation. “If at all possible, you can get all the stuff that you need to get done, your groceries, your medications, those types of things prior to the storm landing,” he said, noting that abandoned vehicles make it difficult for crews to clear roads and for law enforcement to respond to emergencies. 

Jamerson also addressed the use of license plate readers (LPRs) in Albemarle County, clarifying that while the county does not use the same flock system as the city, it employs similar mobile technology. “Yes, we do have license plate readers in some of our vehicles, not every one of them,” he stated, explaining that unlike the city’s stationary cameras, the county’s LPRs are mounted on patrol cars, allowing officers to scan plates while on duty. 

He highlighted the effectiveness of this technology in locating stolen vehicles and assisting in missing person cases. “There’s so many other valuable uses, not even from a criminal component, you know, a missing person, a senior alert, you know, somebody drives away from home, gets lost, doesn’t know how to get back home,” he explained. “A hit off of an entry that was done from some other state or jurisdiction… we would get that notification and locate these folks much, much faster,” he added. 

The discussion emphasized the department’s commitment to leveraging technology for community safety while maintaining efficient emergency response efforts. 

Listen here for the full conversation: