News Crime and Safety Politics

Margate Moves Ahead with $75K in Tools to Enhance Police Investigations

by David Volz November 28, 2025

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The Margate commission approved resolutions involving law enforcement equipment at the November 25 meeting.

The commission passed a resolution approving a revocable license agreement between Broward County and Margate for the placement of purchased license plate reader cameras within county right-of-ways.

The county owns and controls the Revocable License Area and the portions of Copans Road and Coconut Creek Parkway. The city will have access to the area to install, operate, and maintain a law enforcement surveillance system. Police can use this system during investigations to gather information about cars. The item passed with little discussion among commissioners.

The commission approved a resolution authorizing the sole-source acquisition of a Trimble X9 Forensic Laser Scanning System, including accessories and software, from the Federal Law Enforcement Trust Fund Account. The system will be used to capture and document evidence on major vehicle crash scenes at a cost of up to $75,000.

In a letter from Sergeant Mary Crabtree requesting the equipment, she stated. “Due to recent changes in towing laws, the ASA requires that the involved vehicles be scanned within the first 30 days of being held. Currently, we rely on other agencies to borrow their scanners, which has caused problems for several of our investigations. These agencies often do not respond with the necessary urgency.”

Crabtree said the department lacks an updated laser-measuring system for scene mapping and that the system will address both needs. “The quoted price for the system is $74,651, which includes a two-week training course for up to five people to ensure we can utilize the equipment effectively.”

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David Volz

David Volz has worked as a writer in South Florida for 35 years. He has written for the Sun-Sentinel, Hollywood Gazette, School Transportation News, South Dade News Leaders, Observer among others. He has an MA in Communications from Florida Atlantic University and a BA in Communications from Valparaiso University. Volz teaches Communications at Miami Dade College and Palm Beach State College. He lives in Coral Springs and enjoys running and participating in 5Ks and half-marathons.