Over the course of the last year, my office has been working closely with the Los Angeles Police Department and Bureau of Street Lighting on a plan to install 100 Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras in all communities throughout Council District 12.
ALPRs are a technology already used by law enforcement agencies throughout the country that help find patterns in the incoming and outgoing traffic of a specific area, and ultimately play a vital role in narrowing the search for specific suspects.
These cameras do not know any basic details beyond the vehicle information and license plate and thus represent police work that takes guessing out of the equation and is completely driven by data and real-time information.
It is important to note that this information is also extremely well-protected by strict LAPD data policies. A majority of officers only receive information passively, recorded data becomes unavailable in the system after two years and deleted after five unless required for prosecution, and the system is additionally safeguarded from misuse by the department’s Auditing Division.
Many of you know that I am a strong supporter of our LAPD and ensuring that they have the support and resources they need. This tool will undoubtedly improve the department's capability to conduct investigations as they work to keep our communities safe.