What LPR Does

What License Plate Recognition Does

Turning Vehicle Information Into Investigative Leads

License Plate Recognition, or LPR, helps law enforcement agencies identify and investigate vehicles connected to criminal activity, missing persons, stolen vehicles, and other public safety concerns.

LPR cameras capture images of passing vehicles and convert visible license plate information into searchable data. When a plate matches an agency-approved alert list, authorized personnel can receive a notification for further review and appropriate action.

LPR provides agencies with timely vehicle information that can support both active response and ongoing investigations. Instead of relying only on manual observation, officers and investigators can quickly search vehicle sightings, identify patterns, and develop stronger leads.

LPR can help agencies:

  • Locate stolen or wanted vehicles
  • Identify vehicles connected to crimes
  • Support missing-person and AMBER Alert investigations
  • Secure properties from trespassed individuals
  • Review historical vehicle sightings
  • Identify travel patterns and associated vehicles
  • Monitor areas where children are present from offenders

 

Providing Additional Resources

LPR does not replace officers, investigators, or established police procedures. It provides an additional investigative resource that helps authorized users review relevant vehicle information more efficiently.

Keeping It Human

An LPR alert is not a final determination. Officers must verify the plate information, confirm the alert is current, and follow their agency’s policies before taking action.

High Accuracy

Accurate images regardless of environmental conditions, including stacked and special characters and plate reads regardless of city or state

LPR Myths and Facts

Often misunderstood concepts about License Plate Readers.

Myth

LPR identifies drivers and passengers.

Fact

LPR technology is designed to identify vehicle and license plate information. It does not determine who is driving a vehicle.

Myth

Every LPR alert means a crime has occurred.

Fact

An alert simply means that a license plate may match information entered into an authorized database. Officers must verify information before taking action.

Myth

LPR replaces traditional police work.

Fact

LPR is an investigative tool that helps officers and investigators develop leads, but human review and established law enforcement procedures remain essential..

.

.

Myth

LPR continuously tracks every vehicle.

Fact

LPR only records a vehicle at a specific place and time and does not continuously track vehicles.

Myth

All LPR providers handle agency data the same way.

Fact

Data ownership, access, retention and sharing practices can vary significantly between providers. Agencies should understand how their information is stored, managed and protected before choosing an LPR solution