Thanks to help from license plate recognition technology and a smart, fast-acting police team in Greenwich, CT, a Shelton man who's been called the 'Jaws of Life' burglar and the 'ATM bandit' in headlines has been charged with quite the list of felonies.

Spotted on Twitter! On Tuesday, June 18, two suspects crashed a stolen vehicle near a CVS store in Washington, D.C. and fled the scene. The irony? Our fixed ALPR camera system stopped them in their tracks. Literally. Turns out Leonardo's equipment not only identifies stolen cars, it stops them. We're currently quoting a replacement!

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.

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. 

From our extremely knowledgeable sales team to our 24/7 technology support team, we’re always on call and happy to talk you through any questions or comments you might have as you research automatic license plate recognition systems. That said, we completely understand that sometimes you’re short on time, and all you might want are answers to some very specific questions.

There’s a reason local news stories these days often cover the acquisition of license plate recognition cameras—like this one out of Manatee County, Florida or this one in Laurie, Missouri—and that’s because this specific purchase is an absolute game-changer for anyone living and working in that area.

There’s no question that investing in an Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) system is one of the smartest moves you can make to transform the daily operations of your law enforcement agency. Between helping your team recover stolen vehicles and license plates, securing large public venues, making school zones safer, and more efficiently tracking down criminals, the virtually limitless benefits completely outweigh the cost. But like with any major purchase, you no doubt want to review your options—and here at Leonardo, we understand our ELSAG ALPR system isn't the only one in the business.