Automated license plate reader systems (ALPRs) have become an invaluable tool in law enforcement for traffic enforcement, stolen vehicle recovery and detection of vehicles of interest, among many other uses. ALPR systems are continually evolving in sophistication, and artificial intelligence (AI) continues to add and enhance capabilities when integrated into ALPR technology.
In addition to the expected uses, ALPRs can be used to help combat certain pernicious challenges citizens are demanding law enforcement solve and to investigate crime and help build strong cases for prosecution.
Here are three outside-the-box uses that include ALPR you might not be thinking about.
Use case #1 – Distracted driving
From eating and drinking (including alcohol), applying makeup or shaving to consuming drugs, if you’ve traveled the highways in the United States, you have probably seen (or done) some of these dangerous driving behaviors that claimed the lives of 3,308 people in 2022. But the biggest offense by far is using a cellphone to talk or text.
“The main thing and the biggest killer these days is the cellphone, distracting the driver’s attention away from the operation of the vehicle,” said Dorian Grubaugh, vice president, sales of Jenoptik smart mobility solutions Americas, and a former police officer with over 20 years of service.
In a 2023 survey by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, approximately 93% of drivers identified both texting/emailing and reading on a handheld cellphone as very or extremely dangerous – yet many self-reported engaging in these dangerous behaviors while driving in the previous 30 days. Approximately 19% of drivers engaged in all distracted driving behaviors.
While there are numerous public safety campaigns to educate drivers about the risks of distracted driving, drivers persist – despite knowing better.
ALPR technology can help mitigate the failings of human behavior.
Jenoptik’s ALPR technology uses advanced cameras, infrared (IR) lighting (which is not distracting for the driver) and machine learning to produce clear photographic evidence of distracted driving behaviors. “The technology can see through the windshield and detect if someone is holding their cellphone or if their attention is taken away from the operation of the motor vehicle,” said Grubaugh.
The system consists of one steep camera that points down and is used to mainly check for mobile phone placement in the driver’s lap and two flat cameras used to check for mobile phone use on the driver’s ear. Cameras can also detect whether a driver is engaging in other distracted driving behaviors.
“We have sample images of people doing crazy things behind the wheel like using a laptop or smoking illegal drugs,” said Grubaugh. “It can also detect whether the operator is wearing a seat belt.”
In a world where situational awareness and traffic cameras are practically everywhere, drivers who are not violating the law have no reason to be concerned.
Use case #2 – Noise pollution and enforcement
Throughout the summer of 2024, an Instagram influencer dubbed “Belltown Hellcat” plagued peace-and-quiet seeking Seattle residents with a barrage of revving and backfire noises from noise-enhancing modifications to his Dodge Charger. This quality-of-life issue isn’t unique to Seattle – across the country, communities endure vehicular noise from loud music to modified mufflers to street racing and other dangerous driver behaviors. Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies face the challenge of fielding complaints, tracking down offenders and restoring frazzled nerves.
“Loud exhausts, racing vehicles, modified mufflers – noise pollution’s a huge topic of complaint in lot of municipalities at the moment across the country,” said Grubaugh. “Up until recently with what we’ve done, you’ve not been able to identify those decibel levels and actually determine which moving vehicle they are coming from. With the integration of sound sensor technology into our LPR capabilities, we’ve been able to do that.”
Jenoptik’s new noise detection system consists of a VECTOR camera paired with a sound detection panel. The system processes data from the sound detection panel automatically and integrates seamlessly with the ALPR camera. When a predefined noise threshold is exceeded or an abnormal sound is detected, authorities can be automatically notified. The system reliably pinpoints the source of the noise for precise tracking and will capture images of the offending vehicle in all weather conditions up to 180 mph.
“The sound sensor can actually place a heat/sound signature exactly where it’s identifying the sound coming from,” explains Grubaugh. “The camera can then hone in on and capture images and video of that vehicle and the license plate.” With the combination of the vehicle image, license plate and registered owner information, along with the certified decimal measurement from the noise detection device confirming it exceeded the legal decibel level, police have the evidence they need to enforce noise ordinances.
Use case #3 – Passive collection of communication data
LEOs know the value of automated license plate readers when it comes to tracking a stolen car or fugitive, but in a criminal investigation tracking the location of a suspect’s devices – and presumably the suspect – can yield valuable insights and evidence.
Jenoptik’s discreet passive wireless collection solution can detect and deliver signal information on a stand-alone basis or be added to the VECTOR ALPR camera to gather information from wireless signals such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and cellular from car communication devices, mobile devices and wearables.
The solution is capable of either attended or unattended gathering of information, so even in remote areas the ALPR can detect a vehicle of interest, identifying if it’s stolen or connected to a crime or suspect. Jenoptik’s data analysis software processes ALPR data and automatically triggers an alert to law enforcement when a hotlist match is identified. In addition to capturing the usual vehicle data – license plate, make, model and color – additional unique signals deliver enriched information from wireless signals with the potential for further analysis and deep insights.
For instance, not only is the ALPR data from the vehicle of interest captured, the wireless signal detection solution/system also gathers identifying signal information from wireless devices inside the vehicle – such as the occupant’s cell phone, tablet, smartwatch or fitness tracker – so the suspect can be tied to the same place and time as the stolen vehicle.
“Law enforcement can get that passive data identified to the specific device and then try to identify the owner of that device,” said Grubaugh. “Then they can at least go question the suspect as to why their device was in the stolen car, even if they say they were not.”
For border security and to deter human trafficking, detecting a wireless device signal in a remote or prohibited area can alert authorities that a human is somewhere they shouldn’t be. Likewise, this solution can be used in correctional facilities or other institutions to identify signals coming from contraband devices.
Wireless signal detection can also be invaluable in a situation like an active shooter event at a school where known devices would be locked down in certain areas. “You would actually be able to track where somebody who shouldn’t be roaming the building at that time was and relay that to first responders,” said Grubaugh.
DOING MORE WITH YOUR ALPR
By pairing traffic cameras with sound sensors, passive surveillance solutions and advanced artificial intelligence-based software, Jenoptik is expanding the usefulness and investment value of ALPR systems. Its deep learning software makes ALPR particularly powerful by being able to extract even more information from recorded images. From helping solve long-standing challenges like distracted driving and noise pollution to deterring human trafficking and illegal border crossings, tracking suspects in critical events and helping investigators solve crime and build strong cases, couldn’t your ALPR system be doing more?
