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The Expert Podcast brings you firsthand narratives from experts across diverse industries, including private investigators, general contractors and builders, insurance agencies, vehicle specialists, lawyers, and many others.
The next time you're driving down the street and you see a police car, a tow truck, or even an Uber vehicle, look closely. Do you notice little devices on top of the vehicle, like the ones next to the light bar on a police car? These small boxes may look like signal lights, but they’re not. They are actually cameras called ALPRs—Automated License Plate Readers or Automated License Plate Recognition.
What are ALPRs, and what do they do? They are cameras that capture photos or videos of their surroundings. However, their primary focus isn’t on the images of the vehicles but rather on the text on the license plates. For example, these cameras take a photo of a license plate, and while a human might read it as “7XX B682,” a computer can’t interpret an image as text directly. ALPRs decode the text from the image and convert it into a searchable database, logging the date, time, and GPS location of where the license plate was seen.
ALPRs are very common and used in various settings. You might think they are only on police cars—and they are—but you’ll also find them on traffic cameras, tow trucks, Uber cars, and even at gated entrances to subdivisions or parking lots. These cameras serve multiple purposes. For example, toll booth cameras use them for billing, capturing your license plate to charge you a toll.
For police cars, ALPRs offer significant convenience. Instead of manually entering license plate numbers to check if a car is stolen, wanted, or has an expired registration, officers can simply drive down the street. The ALPRs, mounted on all four corners of the car, can scan hundreds or even thousands of plates in minutes from multiple directions. If the system detects an issue, such as a stolen car or an expired registration, it immediately alerts the officer with details like the car’s location and a photo.
Tow trucks also use ALPRs, especially for repossessions. In the past, tow truck drivers relied on banks or lenders to provide addresses for repossessing vehicles. Today, many vehicle owners hide their cars in garages or behind gates. ALPRs simplify the process. As tow truck drivers scan plates during their routes, the system identifies vehicles flagged for repossession. Drivers can then track the car to public locations like grocery stores or workplaces, making repossession easier.
Uber drivers can even make extra money by installing ALPR systems connected to repossession databases. While they don’t perform the repossessions themselves, the data collected helps banks locate vehicles for retrieval.
Law enforcement also uses ALPRs for crime-solving. For instance, after a crime like a shooting or robbery, police can review ALPR records from the area to identify cars that entered or exited the scene. These records can lead to witnesses or other critical information. However, even if a car isn’t wanted or stolen, its data may still be stored for future investigations.
Privacy concerns surround ALPRs. Many argue they can be used to track individuals’ locations without their knowledge, sparking court cases and debates about their ethical use. For instance, in gated communities, ALPRs may restrict access based on pre-approved license plates. While this can improve security, it also raises privacy issues.
In the private sector, ALPRs have other uses. A private citizen could install ALPRs at their home or business to track passing vehicles. While they wouldn’t have access to the owners’ identities, they could collect demographic data about traffic in the area. Some companies even sell license plate data for use by private investigators, insurance companies, or repair shops.
Insurance companies, for example, use ALPR data to verify claims. If you claim your car is garaged in one location but ALPR records show it frequently in another, the insurer might deny your claim. For example, if your policy lists your car as garaged in Salt Lake City, Utah, but ALPR data shows it mostly in Miami, Florida, the discrepancy could lead to complications.
The widespread use of ALPRs has led to their integration with other technologies. They can function almost like GPS, tracking vehicles’ movements across multiple cameras. At shopping centers, ALPRs can identify all cars entering and leaving, potentially revealing customer patterns.
Lastly, ALPRs can detect attempts to avoid regulations, such as registering vehicles in other states to bypass strict laws or taxes. For instance, Californians often register their cars in less restrictive states to avoid smog and inspection requirements. ALPRs help authorities identify these vehicles and enforce compliance.
Let us know your thoughts about ALPR technology. Does it enhance safety and efficiency, or do the privacy concerns outweigh the benefits?