The Redmond Police Dept. is deploying Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) across the city as a means to respond more quickly to crimes and other incidents.
ALPR cameras, which are often used in conjunction with red-light and speed-safety cameras, automatically alert officers and analysts when a vehicle linked to a crime, missing person, stolen vehicle, or other critical incident is detected.
Before any action is taken, every alert is verified and confirmed to ensure the information is accurate and valid, Redmond PD said in a news release on Tuesday.
It’s the latest embrace of advanced technology for public safety purposes in the city east of Seattle.
The department has previously used adhesive GPS trackers fired at cars to catch fleeing suspects. It also deployed a handheld narcotics analyzer that can scan through transparent packaging and identify the chemical composition of more than 530 controlled substances, such as fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin.
Redmond PD also became the first agency in Washington state to receive FAA approval to operate drones beyond an observer’s visual line of sight. The department, which announced last December that it was partnering with Seattle-based drone provider Brinc, runs a Drones as First Responders program in which the devices are used to aid in suspect apprehension, to document crime and crash scenes, search for lost or missing persons, assess structural fires, and safely clear the interior of buildings.
Redmond PD Chief Darrell Lowe said that the ALPR system is not intended for general surveillance.
“We use them solely to track vehicles involved in crimes or emergencies, ensuring that privacy and individual rights are always respected,” Lowe said in a statement.
The department outlined strict safeguards that govern the use of ALPR technology:
- Equipment is only in public areas
- No facial recognition or random surveillance
- Data accessed is restricted to authorized personnel
- All use of the system is logged and audited
- Data from vehicles without an alert tag is neither retained nor stored
The Seattle Police Dept., which formally launched its Real Time Crime Center inside department headquarters in downtown Seattle recently, also uses ALPR technology. The City Council approved expansion of the program to all police department vehicles last year.
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