License plate reading technology has greatly advanced over the years, so there is no “one size fits all” ALPR product anymore. For every need to track a vehicle by law enforcement, municipal, or airport agencies, there is a camera to fit that need.
The technology these agencies employ is meant for public safety as well as efficiency, and are used in real time for these purposes only. In many cases, the public may not know this technology is being used, but that does not equate to it being used for nefarious purposes. Indeed, many good results come about when the right technology is used for the right purposes.
One of the original purposes that Genetec technology was used for was parking lot and parking space monitoring. Vehicles cheat the system in place by moving their car vehicle before their allotted time is used up. Whether this happens on city, county, state, or private property, any of these entities can install the camera’s needed for their purpose to spot who does this and fine them accordingly. This may seem like a mundane use of this technology, but it can help increase profits where profits were once stolen. The retail industry calls this loss prevention, only in this case the loss was of time. Time is the product here.
The Reduction of Reckless Driving
Perhaps the most common use of this technology is catching people who speed and run red lights endangering the lives of everyone. Different jurisdictions have different rules concerning using technology for those purposes, but they are on board with the use for the sake of public safety. Red light running is becoming a problem, especially in metropolitan areas, so city councils across the nation and around the world are good with this. They may not be able to save lives directly, but this technology can recognize traffic patterns. With this, they may be able to adjust the timing of traffic signals in the troublesome intersections to reduce the possibility of the occurrences of red light running.
Let’s Catch the Car Thief’s
Law enforcement agencies may be the biggest customers of ALPR, as they would be the ones that require it the most. Stolen vehicle reports are filed more than ever in some jurisdictions, and this technology can help in catching criminals as well as the vehicles they steal. While it’s true that some vehicles have services that can track vehicle locations, not all vehicles have this service.
One “trick” criminals implement to steal a vehicle and get away with it is using a license plate stolen from another vehicle. But now plate reading technology can spot this trick rather quickly, precisely and it could possibly help in catching the thief quicker than usual. It could help in the geolocation tracking of the criminal and thereby narrowing down where they may be in real time.
A Worldwide Product
There are cities around the world that use this technology in lieu of speed cameras to help make streets safer. The technology is more advanced than speed cameras, and the devices are harder to visually detect by motorists. When the right devices are set up and being used, they can detect the type of vehicle being driven if the vehicle has a device on their license plate to make it hard or impossible to read. The device can gather vehicle and location information in an attempt to pinpoint the owner of the vehicle and, as a result of that, the plate number.
Uses In Airports
Within major cities, and some smaller ones, airports employ ALPR to keep track of their fleet of shuttle vans. This is done for the safety and well-being of the passengers who use the outdoor parking lots that are far away from the terminal they need to get to. The speed and location of the shuttle vans are monitored to ensure their speed is where it should be, and their location is where they should be. Sometimes, new drivers can get confused and make a wrong turn, so this technology can get them back on track. Same with the speed being driven, an alert can be sent to the driver that they are going too fast and need to slow down.
Parking Lot Efficiency
What airports use this for is parking lots and roads within a closed system of transportation. Health organizations use it as well, and this is confined to parking lots only. It is not so much to track a specific vehicle’s progress as it is to track all vehicles’ progress. More specifically, it has been used in parking lots where COVID vaccines were being administered. The reason for keeping an eye on them was to track the efficiency of getting vehicles in and out in a timely fashion. If bottlenecks occurred that slowed the progress of the vehicles needlessly, the cameras would pick up on that and the issue could be remedied the next day.
Securing The Perimeter
Perimeter detection is another product that government agencies, private businesses, and possibly even HOAs currently utilize. Anywhere security is a top priority, plate readers and vehicle identifiers can help supplement current security measures that companies and agencies will have. Crime is on the rise nearly everywhere, with different types of crimes in flux with regard to how prevalent they are. The best way to stay on top of these unpredictable changes is to use the most advanced security measures there are, and this type of security measure is among the best in the field.
Tailor the System to Meet Unique Needs
There are many uses for ALPR products that a wide array of industries use. This technology is not exactly in its infancy, but there is still room to grow and improve. There are a multitude of resources online where users can find all the information needed to determine if it will fit into their business needs. Saving money long-term, public safety, as well as efficiency of traffic flows, are a few of the uses that are being realized presently.
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