DUBUQUE – Iowa cops used a fancy new toy – a license plate reader that had just been installed – to help catch a man wanted for murder out of North Dakota.
On December 5, 2024, Dubuque Police were notified that a subject wanted for Conspiracy to Commit Murder out of North Dakota was possibly in that Iowa jurisdiction. The local, newly-installed Flock automated license plate reader (ALPR) system was checked and found that the vehicle associated with the wanted person, 30-year-old Steven Burrell (pictured at top), had been picked up by several cameras. Dubuque Police worked with Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office and ultimately located and arrested Burrell at a Casey’s General Store on Rockdale Road.
According to the City of Fargo, North Dakota, on Wednesday, December 4, at approximately 12 PM, the Fargo Police Department responded to a report of a shooting in the 4500 block of 47th Street South. The shooting victim was transported to a local medical facility and later passed away from his injuries. The incident prompted the FPD Criminal Investigations Division to launch an investigation, with detectives pursuing multiple leads. The investigation ultimately led the FPD to arrest Steven Burrell (30-year-old Fargo resident) in Dubuque, Iowa, on the evening of Thursday, December 5, after the above investigation led to his capture.
The Flock ALPR cameras went live in Dubuque in October 2024.