New Technology Assist Police with Locating Wanted Individuals

valpopoliceThe Valparaiso Police Department has recently obtained a grant to purchase an Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR). This new technology, attached to a police car, will assist the Valparaiso Police Department with locating wanted individuals and recovering stolen vehicles in a much quicker manner. This new equipment will allow an officer to scan multiple license plates at one time.

The Automated License Plate Reader has been available to law enforcement since the early 1980’s. It is currently being used in many different states throughout the country. The ALPR has become a powerful tool in helping law enforcement locate criminals wanted throughout the country including individuals on the FBI terrorists list.

Each morning the Valparaiso Police downloads an updated listed from the FBI, of individuals wanted throughout the United States. Included in this list are known terrorists and stolen vehicles. This list is then downloaded to the Automated License Plate Reader. A wanted individual’s vehicle information which includes the license plate number is cross referenced from the FBI’s wanted list and police will then receive an alert on the ALPR system notifying them that an individual or vehicle matching the information on the list has been located.

If you are not on the FBI wanted list then the system scans the license plate and then disregards the plate number and nothing further is recorded. Police officers have always had the ability through the Indiana Data and Communication System (IDACS) to randomly run license plates in the performance of their duties, this technology allows police to run multiple license plates at one time in an attempt to locate individuals wanted, including possible terrorists.