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It looks pretty nondescript, not flashy at all. If you even noticed it, you might think it was a radar detector, or maybe a spotlight on the trunk of a police patrol car. In reality, it's an LPR, or "license plate recognition" camera, and say the homely box camera can catch car thieves. Norwalk Police Lt. David Winn told USA Today that the department tried out LPRs last September and quickly found six stolen cars and license plates. The cameras also helped police track down four missing people.
And beware--city tax departments have discovered the joys of LPRs, too. In New Haven, tax collector C.J. Cuticello uses one, driving city streets, scanning cars and tags, and searching for cars that belong to anyone who owes New Haven money. "It has made my job much more efficient and even more exciting," he says.
The technology, created by a New York company called ELSAG, can capture information from 3,600 license plates a minute, and not just parked cars. The company says its LPRs can pick up tag information across four lanes of moving traffic--even at speeds up to 120 mph. ELSAG president and CEO Mark Windover says his cameras have already contributed to hundreds of arrests and the recovery of thousands of stolen cars. "We're proud to say (our cameras) have been an important asset in this critical battle," Windover said.
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