INDIANAPOLIS – Today, Mayor Joe Hogsett, Commander Matthew Thomas and City-County Councilor Jared Evans announced that 214 automated license plate readers (ALPR’s) would be up and running by the end of the week with an additional 30 LPR’s to be installed over the next few months. This includes both stationary LPR’s on street poles and streetlights and mobile ones on marked police vehicles.
“These machines are useful tools for IMPD, providing up-to-the-moment data that can prove critical in preventing or solving crime,” said Mayor Hogsett. “They represent an important part of our three-year violence reduction strategy and have already made a difference in numerous cases. Combined with the efforts of neighbors, law enforcement, and community partners, this cutting-edge technology is helping reduce the level of violence in our city.”
Below is the breakdown of how the LPR’s will be deployed:
+ 182 Stationary Flock LPR’s for IMPD districts outside of downtown
+22 Motorola Stationary LPR’s in the downtown area
+10 Motorola Mobile Camera LPR’s on patrol vehicles
= 214 Total IMPD LPR’s by September 9, 2022.
IMPD expects to have 244 total LPR’s by early fall. APLR’s automatically capture all license plate numbers that come into view in a specific location at a specific time. The data, which includes photographs of the vehicle, is then uploaded to a central server. Data is purged 30 or 180 days depending on the platform.
Stationary LPR’s are located on every district and were deployed using data, district intelligence and community input. Mobile LPR’s are attached to marked police patrol cars, allowing law enforcement officers to capture data from license plates as they drive around the city on their shift.
This year along in the downtown area, the total number of LPR detections is over 15 million.
“This technology has already proven to be successful in various incidents. It allows investigators to focus in on a vehicle, make or model after a crime has occurred or a person is at risk. It has been useful in various calls ranging from domestic violence to homicides, from missing persons cases to reckless driving and fatal hit and run investigations. It also proven to corroborate and refute witness statements,” said Commander Matthew Thomas.
IMPD is using a layered approach in the deployment of the LPR’S and other technology. Safety cameras, B-link cameras, camera trailers, and body-worn cameras are intended to work together and complement each other. By using this multi-faceted approach, IMPD is able to recover multiple pieces of evidence to help generate leads, solve cases, and hold violent offenders accountable for their actions in our community.
Mayor Hogsett announced a comprehensive violence reduction plan in fall 2021, powered by $150 million in American Rescue Plan funds unanimously approved by the City-County Council. The plan emphasizes law enforcement investments, including $9 million in modern policing technology, 100 new IMPD officer positions, and up to 40 IMPD civilian positions to cover non-emergencies. It also addresses root causes of violence through $45 million for grassroots violence prevention organizations, 50 peacemakers to engage with those at risk of becoming perpetrators or victims of gun violence, $30 million for mental health resources, and more.
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