This post was last updated in April 2019.

We often talk about how license plate readers can significantly benefit your local community and surrounding towns. It's important to note, though, that these devices can also play a major role in locating out-of-state criminals and rescuing children that don't even live in your jurisdiction. Take this news story, for example, about a Cleveland kidnapper caught in New York.

Most law and parking enforcement agencies understand the many benefits that come from having an ALPR system in their jurisdictions—but oftentimes, community members may be skeptical. In an age where automation exists everywhere and "Big Brother is watching you" literally appears in online dictionaries, it's understandable that people would have concerns about such sophisticated technology. But the truth is: they don't need worry. 

You may have noticed that across our website, we offer an open invitation to schedule a 30-minute consultation phone call with a Leonardo ELSAG specialist to talk about your interest in ALPR technology. If you haven't yet done so, read on for a glimpse into what actually happens during these conversations.

Sometimes, you're in the right place at the right time with your ALPR system—like this one officer in Horseheads, NY, who was tipped off during a routine sweep. The incident lead to not just one, but two arrests. 

This past week, Leonardo hosted an international training event at our Greensboro headquarters specifically for our customers who hail from around the world. In addition to providing an overview of our ELSAG ALPR technology and our law enforcement and public safety missions across the U.S., guests received training on the use and installation of a variety of ALPR solutions. In this hands-on training event, end-users learned how ALPR systems create efficiencies for law enforcement agencies using high-speed reading and processing of license plates.

An automatic license plate recognition system is a big investment for sure, but the technology essentially pays for itself when you consider its efficacy in recovering stolen cars. That's what Detective Sal Aprile of Lehigh County in Pennsylvania said in a quick one-on-one conversation with us about his agency's own use of LPRs, which they acquired in 2006-2007. Take a look.

The Alert

An ALPR system's high speed cameras can do a lot of things very quickly. They can read hundreds of license plates per minute, capture contextual photos of vehicles, translate the image of a plate into alphanumeric characters, and ultimately aid in solving crimes and locating missing persons. Most systems can read plates day or night, in all types of weather conditions, and many manufacturers advertise they read plates from all 50 states in the U.S. and most foreign countries. 

As much as the team behind Leonardo’s ELSAG ALPR systems could tell you about the proven benefits of automatic license plate recognition, nothing compares to hearing from those who utilize the technology day in and day out.

So we recently checked in on the Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office in Auburn, NY. Motivated by cost and time savings, as well as efficiency, the office acquired their first affixed ALPR systems in 2014 through grant funds.

Below are the collective responses of the office’s members who have vehicles equipped with an ALPR system. Take a look at their thoughts on the technology, how they’ve put it to work, and what they think is the nicest feature.