Burnet introduces new crime-fighting tools
Burnet Police Capt. Jeremy Stewart spoke at a Chamber of Commerce event, describing how the department’s new technology will help it better serve and protect the community. Staff photo by Elizabeth De Los Santos
Burnet city and county law enforcement are keeping pace with a growing community by implementing new technologies to enhance crime prevention and response. Officials spoke about those improvements along with other law enforcement updates during a Burnet Chamber of Commerce Coffee and Conversation event on Tuesday, Sept. 17.
BPD Capt. Jeremy Stewart and Burnet County Sheriff Calvin Boyd outlined the key technological updates, including license plate readers, drones, and cell phone forensics software.
“These new tools have been some of the best tools for the department,” Boyd said. “They’re gonna save a lot of lives.”
The license plate readers will be installed on BPD patrol vehicles. They scan plates and instantly cross-reference them with databases, including the Texas Crime Information system, to identify stolen vehicles, Amber Alert suspects, and drivers with outstanding warrants.
“An officer can drive by a car, and if it’s an Amber Alert, he’s going to know within a second,” said Stewart about the system that alerts law enforcement and residents about abducted children. “If the car’s stolen, he’s going to know within a second.”
The BPD will also make use of cell phone forensics software, which played a crucial role in an Amber Alert two years ago that ended in the safe return of an abducted child. The department is partnering with the Marble Falls police on the purchase and use of a faster version from Cellebrite.
“With cell phone forensics, we were able to locate (the abducted child) and build not only that case but multiple other cases that this suspect had perpetrated against other victims,” Stewart said.
Additionally, two new drone operators are being certified and added to the local law enforcement team. The drones, equipped with cameras, spotlights, and speakers, give officers an aerial view during critical incidents. Their uses are varied, including monitoring barricaded suspects and search-and-rescue missions.
“Anytime we have a barricaded subject or something like that, we bring those drones down, and we can look in the windows and we can actually fly into houses,” Boyd said. “It’s gonna save a lot of lives.”
Beyond these tools, the Burnet Police Department is also expanding its resources with a new K-9 officer, TruNarc drug identification technology, and ALERRT school safety training.
“All the growth we’ve had and everything we’ve continued to get over the past six to nine months is force multipliers for us and help us serve the community even better,” Stewart said. “We’re grateful for all the support we’ve gotten from the city to be able to keep up with these new technologies and a growing community.”