License Plate Cameras Boost Security and Safety for High-Volume Areas

Undoubtedly battling crime in high-density areas is fraught with threats that law enforcement must deal with on a daily basis. Every day police officers are faced with life and death situations none more so than when an officer is faced with the decision to pursue a suspect who flees in a vehicle. In the event of a high-speed vehicle pursuit, keeping officers and the general public safe is a high priority. Fortunately, one technology that helps to punish drivers who violate traffic laws endangering the general public or locating a criminal is a license plate camera.

How License Plate Cameras Work

License plate cameras are generally known as Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) or (LPR) technology. Most people think of a license plate camera that is good at capturing a license plate number as opposed to license plate recognition.

License plate recognition is an image processing technology used to identify a vehicle by its license plate. The detection method includes three main steps: motion detection, license plate detection, and license plate tracking. Specially designed software algorithms enhance the image to ensure the number on the plate is recognizable.

An LPR system uses a specialized camera and lighting to take a picture of the front or back of a vehicle. The image is then transferred to image processing software to extract the license plate information and analyze the data. The data is then used by law enforcement for investigative purposes, traffic control, or granting access to restricted areas by municipalities, universities, and other communities.

You will find them mounted on police patrol cars, in neighborhoods, parking garages, highway overpasses, and public streets to track the movement of vehicles. With three types of mounts, fixed, mobile, and portable, LATECH offers the latest in ALPR technology which will capture plates in most weather conditions, oncoming headlights, glare, bright sunlight, and total darkness.

For law enforcement, smart technology such as an LPR makes a big impact. Mobile camera systems alone can have up to 4 cameras mounted on a light bar and scan 4000 plus plates in a 12-hour shift to help boost security and safety in high-density areas.

Uses For ALPR

Mobile ALPR Cameras are widely recognized as an effective tool for law enforcement to combat criminal activity, enhance productivity, and improve officer safety at the state, local, and federal levels. They are also used to aid in law enforcement and security in public areas along with airports, harbors, and other locations.

License plate recognition technology is also used in border control, traffic monitoring, and parking enforcement.

Crime Prevention and Investigation

License plate cameras are more than just a high-tech toy, they are designed to scan and capture the alpha-numeric numbers on license plates. By scanning every passing car and cross-referencing the license plate information with various law enforcement databases to compare the captured license plate with wanted criminals, police can use this information to prevent and investigate crime.

License plate cameras are programmed to read a license plate in a narrowly defined way, and the data is fed back to a processing unit for analysis. With so many crimes in the US involving vehicles, the license plate camera has the ability to scan up 1,800 license plates per minute even in the dark. Unquestionably it’s a level of analytics and investigative potential that is unrivaled.

Gated Communities

License plate cameras are not only used by law enforcement, but they are also used in gated communities. Home Owner Associations (HOA) along with property managers use license plate cameras to keep communities safer by catching criminals and vandals in the act. They use the technology 24/7 to capture who comes and goes in the community and to scan if they are authorized to enter.

Traffic Monitoring

Monitoring traffic serves two purposes, one to ensure high-density roads are sufficient to cope with current traffic volumes by taking an accurate account of the number of vehicles on a particular road. This helps municipalities plan for road upgrades and new roads.

The second and most obvious use of ALPR technology is for traffic patrols to monitor a vehicle’s speed for which they can be ticketed. They also help determine the cause of accidents allowing law enforcement to follow up in the event of serious injury or even death. These cameras can assist in notifying law enforcement of stolen cars and remind the public to keep their registrations current.

For those who are concerned about privacy, it’s important to note that ALPR technology identifies vehicles, not people. Serving Law Enforcement, local communities, and municipalities, it’s easy to understand how ALPR technologies have been adopted to boost security and the safety of high volume areas.

When it comes to security and surveillance, LATECH is your premier source for quality resources and information. Call 866-779-4897 to learn more about how LATECH can help you implement the latest in license plate reader technology.

Experience How LaTech Security + Surveillance Platforms Enhance Your Peace of Mind

With 20 years of valuable experience serving Baton Rouge and surrounding areas, LaTech Security + Surveillance is proud to provide customers with superb security and surveillance solutions that are always one step ahead of the competition. LaTech’s broad selection of products makes it easier than ever for businesses, teams and even families to stay secure in today’s unpredictable climate.

At LaTech, we are eager to implement the latest technology features into our offering so that you can enjoy the best security products available on the market today. Excellent-quality video management systems, license plate readers and access control tools are at your disposal for effective security solutions that you can count on. To learn more about how your business, team or home security could benefit from emerging cloud computing, AI developments and more, simply connect with one of our friendly surveillance and security Baton Rouge professionals by calling 866-779-4897 or filling out our quick contact form today.