Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, police arrested two people with the help of an automatic license plate reader, News 3 Now reported on March 20, 2026. At about 8:20 p.m., the department received an alert about a vehicle connected to a stolen-vehicle investigation; police said Dane County has seen an increase in a particular model of stolen cars being used in other crimes. A search of the stopped vehicle found a loaded .40-caliber handgun with an auto sear, classified as a machine gun under Wisconsin law.
At a glance
- Agency
- Sun Prairie Police Department
- Alert
- About 8:20 p.m., a vehicle connected to a stolen-vehicle investigation
- Found
- A loaded .40-caliber handgun with an auto sear, plus magazines, ammunition and other contraband
- Detained
- The driver and a passenger
- Arrested
- A 23-year-old Sun Prairie resident, held in the Dane County Jail
- Charges
- Referred to the county prosecutor
How the plate reader helped
This is what the report says about the technology’s role.
- The reader alerted officers to a vehicle connected to a stolen-vehicle investigation.
- Officers stopped it, detained both occupants and searched it.
The outcome
- A 23-year-old man was arrested and charges were referred to the Dane County District Attorney.
In the news
“Sun Prairie police arrested two people thanks to the help of an automatic license plate reader.”
The excerpt is quoted word for word. The rest of this page paraphrases the same report, so names, dates and figures are the reporter’s or the agency’s, not ours. Where a report does not say something, we do not guess.
Context and caveats
- The station did not name the suspect, citing a policy of not naming people until they are formally charged in court.
License plate readers are one investigative tool among several. They flag vehicles and give investigators leads; officers, detectives and the public do the rest, and every lead still has to be verified. For how agencies govern the technology, see our policy and data-retention guide and the accuracy guide.
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Frequently asked questions
What did officers find?
A loaded .40-caliber handgun with an auto sear, which is classified as a machine gun under Wisconsin law, plus magazines, ammunition and other contraband.
Why did police stop the vehicle?
A reader alerted them to a vehicle connected to a stolen-vehicle investigation.