PUBLIC SAFETY

An Eye On Crime

License Plate Readers come to Stamford

Advances in technology inform the way we do everything. For those with careers in public safety, technology has aided in solving crimes. From fingerprinting to DNA, technologies have aided the police in closing cases. Throughout the city of Stamford, a new technology will do the same by installing license plate readers or LPRs.

From a release on the new technology, the city cites data that says that seventy percent of crimes committed involve a vehicle. And whether the crime was related to driving or the car was simply used as a conduit in the crime, the use of a car is a key piece of evidence.

License Plate Readers (LPRs) will help identify those pieces of evidence, and through the 30 locations that will eventually be part of the system, they can create a full picture of where a car used in a crime are going.

And although car thefts appear to be down from a pandemic increase, they have seen intense scrutiny from the public and media. Technology like this can prevent the worst outcomes of these incidents.

According to an article on the early results of this system, over 20 incidents were able to be resolved because of information garnered by the LPRs.

This isn’t to say that these systems are universally beloved. As with many of the newer technologies, there are those who fear the more nefarious uses and limitations of these technologies.

A decade ago, legislative analysts looked into these technologies to see if any other states or countries banned them on the basis of these fears. While New Hampshire, Maine, and New Jersey at the time had measures meant to rein in their use, in all cases, it didn’t prevent the usage of LPRs, only when and who they can be used by and for how long.

But thanks to advances in video capture and retainment, towns and cities are investing in public safety measures utilizing this technology. From LPRs to networks of doorbell cameras and even the body cameras that police will be wearing, video will be a crucial tool in solving crimes.

With this new program, Stamford can safely assess data and use this information in a way that will improve the safety for the city’s residents.