FLORENCE -- Florence police are testing out technology that scans hundreds of license plates at a time, then alerts officers to traffic violators and other offenders.

In the four months they've been experimenting with the new technology, called an automated license plate reader system, it's helped them put one fugitive in jail.

Two cameras attach to the sides of the officer's patrol car. They connect to a computer which can scan up to 400 plates an hour.

Sgt. Mark Mims is one of the Florence police officers using the automated plate reader.

"Very amazed, very satisfied. The instantaneous aspect of how quickly it capture data and alerts us," he said.

We weren't allowed to videotape the information shown on the computer screen, because it's considered classified.

The scanned license plates are checked against state and federal databases, including the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

"If there is anything attacked to the vehicle be it the person is wanted, the vehicle is stolen, there's an Amber Alert, the tags are suspended for insurance purposes or what have you, then the system would give us an alert," Mims said.

Mims told us about a time earlier this week, when he got an alert on a stolen vehicle.

"The gentleman probably wouldn't have been located because at the time he passed us he was not doing anything wrong. There was no speeding or traffic violation."

Mims called dispatch with the tag number to confirm it and found out the driver was wanted on several felonies out of York County.

Mims said, so far, they've charged nearly 20 people with traffic violations and car theft with the system's help.

He doesn't think it's a form of "big brother."

"It doesn't capture or store any personal data on anyone, so it's not like the big brother aspect of being watched all the time like people a lot of people fear."

The cameras are on loan from another law enforcement department and will be returned later this week.

The department is considering buying the system.