With more law enforcement agencies taking advantage of License Plate Recognition technology, do the benefits outweigh the costs for smaller departments?
Officer Josef Garcia from the Breezy Point Police Department in Minnesota said that his experience with PlateSmart's software-only solution so far has made him a believer.
On just the second day of having his cruiser equipped with the cameras, Garcia executed a warrant arrest of a criminal offender. While on patrol, he received a hit on a vehicle that had passed by, alerting him that the registered owner had a revoked driver's license.
"I conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle, and found that while the driver was not the registered owner of the vehicle, he was wanted for contempt of court and had a driver license that had been cancelled as inimical to public safety, a Gross Misdemeanor violation."
The suspect was taken into custody without incident and charged.
In the first two months of operation, the PlateSmart solution has resulted in four arrests for the department, including one for possession of methamphetamine and felony probation violation. During the same time, the system has netted twenty citations for revoked driver's licenses.
"Our roads are undoubtedly safer without these people on them," Garcia said. "Often times, the number of alerts outpaces our ability to contact the offenders. I am frequently stopped on the side of the road with an offender and will receive another alert on a vehicle that passes by. While we have not gotten the 'big one' yet, I truly believe it is only a matter of time."
Each year, Breezy Point's population swells from 2,400 full-time residents to upwards of 10,000 during its tourism season. Through the use of LPR, the department has started to monitor traffic and vehicles in high traffic areas and high volume resorts.
"The LPR system allows our agency to more efficiently monitor traffic and search for violators, stolen vehicles, and missing persons," he said. "LPR systems are very well suited for small agencies. While they can be costly, I believe the return on investment will be considerable."
While his department just now began taking advantage of the technology, he said that he first read about license plate scanners several years ago in a law enforcement magazine.
"The concept of a software based LPR system was intriguing, but at the time, it was still cost prohibitive," he said. "About a year ago, the Minnesota State Patrol deployed an LPR equipped car in our region, which brought the technology into the spotlight.
"I researched several companies. Most setups proved to be too expensive, but the PlateSmart product fit into our budget. The company has been very responsive and a pleasure to work with."
Garcia said that there are several advantages to using LPR technology and specifically the PlateSmart solution.
"Because we are able to use standard off the shelf IP surveillance cameras, rather than proprietary cameras, the cost can be kept down," he said. "Additionally, it allows for the system to be moved between squad cars."
Garcia said that the setup was extremely flexible and that cameras can be rearranged to fit a department's specific needs. The interior mounting of cameras also allows the system to be mounted in unmarked and low profile vehicles with no exterior signature.
