PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Portland Police Bureau is using a new tool to track down stolen cars. Mounted on one of the Southeast Precinct cars is a camera with three lenses.

“As a car goes by it’ll read the plate, take a picture of just the lower section of the car, and it’s doing that with each car,” said Sergeant Brian Schmautz.

The image of the license plate number is then transmitted to a computer inside the squad car. Within seconds, an alarm will sound if that car is reported stolen.

Schmautz tells Newschannel 8 the camera will help police capture car thieves and recover stolen cars.

“Imagine if you’re a person, your car is stolen, and all you have is liability insurance and you need your car back to get to work,” added Schmautz.

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Last year alone thieves ripped off more than five thousand cars for a total of $23.8 million. Some drivers think the camera is a great tool for police.

“I think it’s them doing their job. It helps them be more efficient,” said Thayer Tidwell of Portland.

But not everybody agrees. Some think the new technology is an invasion of privacy.

“I know you’re in a public place with your license plate, but you’re required to have that plate. State law requires you to have it on there,” said John Buehler of Portland.

But Schmautz does not think the camera is violating civil liberties.

“It doesn’t run people. It doesn’t take pictures of the people inside the car. There’s no documentation of who’s driving the car. It doesn’t even read the state of the license plate,” added Schmautz.

So far the camera is mounted on only one squad car.

Each camera costs around $25,000. In about a week’s time, police have recovered nine stolen cars and put two car thieves behind bars.