License Plate Cameras Locate Missing Arizona Man

An Arizona man who had been reported missing and endangered in Phoenix, Arizona, was located and rescued in Freeport, New York, last week thanks to the town’s fixed automatic license plate reader (ALPR) system.

As reported by Newsday.com, the man drove past part of the system that circles the village. The system alerted police that the man was reported missing and may be in need of assistance. Officer Robert Salisbury was able to locate the driver and get him the medical attention he needed.

Deputy Chief Mike Smith told Newsday it was not the first time the two-year old ALPR program helped police find a missing person. He said they had five cases in the last six months when they have been able to locate missing persons with the help of the fixed camera system. Some cases involved Amber Alerts.

The mayor of Freeport, Robert Kennedy, reported to Newsday that the ALPR system in combination with additional police officers helped reduce crime 43 percent over the last year.

“The equipment we installed here is not only for crime prevention and apprehension of criminals,” Kennedy was quoted. “It’s really helped in the last years for people that were missing.”

Leonardo’s ELSAG fixed license plate camera systems have proven to be instrumental in missing person cases, as well as crime prevention. But their benefits don’t end there.

Fixed license plate cameras also:

• Help cities and towns identify traffic anomalies, such as traffic jams and vehicle breakdowns by determining vehicle speed
• Collect and store data to aid future investigations
• Feature multi-level alarms (wants, warrants, Amber Alerts)

Find out more about the versatility of Leonardo’s fixed and mobile systems using ELSAG cameras and technology.