LPR for Police Leadership: The Experience

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A National Institute of Justice supported project.

In the GMU Report, Lum et al. suggest that the strength of License Plate Recognition technology as a crime prevention and reduction tool depends heavily on how it is operationalized in deployment as well as the underlying information that it searches. With regard to the latter, many principals of information technology apply including the breadth and depth of information, as well as the ability to connect different data systems.Thus, information sharing can be critical to addressing crime problems and increasing situational awareness. Further, given that crime often ignores jurisdictional boundaries, both information sharing within and across jurisdictions may be key. While LPR can support investigations and crime analysis, existing LPR systems have proprietary data formats that are not compatible, making the information sharing and analysis of LPR data across multiple jurisdictions difficult.

To decrease data stove-piping, a free software product called License Plate Recognition Data (LPRD) has been created to standardize the LPR data and sharing between various agencies. LPRD utilizes a National information Exchange Model (NIEM)-based XML LPR data standard created in coordination with 13 companies from the LPR vendor community including such companies as CitySync, ElsagNA, L-3, MV Trac, NDI, PIPS, and Vigilant. The LPRD web service application utilizes a standard format to make the LPR data interoperable and allows LE to share their data regardless of which LPR system is used. The application is freely available to LE. Utilizing LPR-collected data, analysis can be performed to increase arrest rates and situational awareness. As a result, officers are equipped with more knowledge that may relate to criminal activity/ behavior and possibly in advance of suspect approach. The safety of the officer, as well as the citizens of the community, is enhanced. LPRD provides common protocol to the criminal justice community for information sharing and analysis.

Note: This software is currently being updated and is unavailable. For more information contact Joey Pomperada at joey.pomperada@navy.mil or 843.218.4528

Features:

  • Free software
  • Web Service
  • Standards-based
  • Service Oriented Architecture
  • NIEM XML standards and framework

LPR Deployment for Police Leadership

The Experience: What policies and practices have been developed by other police departments that are currently using LPR?

The Evidence: What sort of evidence should the police be using to make decisions about innovative practices and the aquisition of technology? What are the findings of research that has evaluated LPR in particular?

Important Considerations: Law enforcement agencies must be aware, sensitive, and transparent about LPR concerns related to data collection, and privacy.