Everything You Need to Know About License Plate Readers
Technology is being implemented into every industry, not just surveillance and security. At LaTech Security + Surveillance, we stay on top of the latest trends, breaking down the newest technology so that you can implement it into your organization seamlessly.
License plate readers, or LPR security cameras, have been used for years by law enforcement. Ninety-three percent of police departments in cities with populations of 1 million use their LPR systems for various reasons. There are at least 16 states that have some sort of legislation surrounding license plate readers. Today, LPRs are used in a variety of industries separate and apart from law enforcement. Let’s explore how LPRs work and how they can be used.
How Do LPRs Work?
License plate readers are capable of two different types of surveillance. They can both capture and recognize license plates.
With a license plate reader that captures information, the LPR essentially takes a picture of a license plate with a high-resolution camera. This type of reader does not read the information captured in the image; it merely collects images.
An LPR that uses recognition technology, however, can examine the content of each license plate and convert it to information that is accessible at any time in a database. As a result, license plate numbers are easily accessible and can be sorted and compared based on various criteria.
To determine which type of LPR will work best for your organization, you should consider the purpose of the LPR. If your goal is to keep track of the cars that come in and out of your property, you probably want to make sure your LPR uses recognition technology.
What Is LPR Software?
LPR software helps to take all of the data from license plates and put it into a database. By taking advantage of a video management system, the security cameras store the information captured from plates. The software takes this information stored by the cameras and allows you to compare new information with the information already in the database. Why is this important? You can label license plates and compare them with other plates. This can help to authorize entry into your property or prohibit certain plates from entering your property.
LPR software can help monitor entry and exit from your business and help solve crimes or detect unwanted activity. LPR software can also be combined with access control software, allowing you to provide or deny access to your business with ease remotely. Because license plate numbers are public information, gathering this information is legal. We recommend notifying people that their license plate information is being monitored, though, even if there is no general legal obligation to do so.
How Can License Plate Readers Benefit Your Business?
There are a variety of ways that LPRs can benefit your business or organization. They:
- Allow authorized vehicles to enter the property;
- Prohibit unauthorized vehicles from entering the property;
- Search for particular cars;
- Combine with gate access for additional security;
- Learn traffic patterns;
- Increase security;
- Decrease liability on fake claims;
- Reduce crime.
As a leader in the security and surveillance industry, LaTech is ready to give you more information about license plate reader cameras and how they can be used to benefit your business. Call us today on 866-779-4897 or 225-214-3038 to talk to one of our friendly experts.