LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Automatic license plate readers (LPRs) are cracking down on crime in Henderson. The Henderson Police Department just added dozens (54) to major intersections and has them in some of their patrol cars (18). On Monday, HPD sat down with FOX5 to explain what the cameras are looking for.

“Typically, a patrol officer, when he’s driving down the road and he wants to run a license plate on a vehicle, he has to get on the radio, call the dispatcher and he will relay the information and if the vehicle was running. the hot list or in the system as a stolen vehicle, the dispatcher would respond. This automates the fact that where the officer is driving down the street or a vehicle passes by a location that has a fixed ALPR system, it will automatically read that information and if the plate is on that hot list it will automatically notify our distribution and will inform the agent. ” said Lt. Tony Niswonger, commander of the Henderson Police Department’s Investigative Services Division.

The software checks plates against a “red list” looking for stolen cars, stolen plates, vehicles linked to criminal activity, or missing and endangered people.

“If we have a wanted subject of interest in a homicide for example, we can enter the associated vehicle into the system…If that plate shows up in the system, it will alert that officer,” Lt. Niswonger said. describe.

When it comes to privacy concerns, license plate readers only focus on license plates and the data is only stored temporarily. The readers do not provide surveillance of people inside the vehicle.

“Data is deleted after a period of time if it is not deemed worthy of a criminal or civil case,” Lt. Niswonger revealed.

HPD reports: “The data captured by the ALPR unit itself is completely anonymous. Officers can only identify the registered owner of a vehicle by querying a separate, secure state government database of vehicle license plate records, which is restricted, monitored and audited.

Even if they receive a response from a license plate reader, an officer will not automatically stop a car until they verify the accuracy of the information with dispatch.

Cameras can be moved as needed. HPD received a state grant and local fiscal stimulus funds to expand its automatic license plate reader system. HPD has used this technology on a limited basis since April 2011.

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