License plate readers help the LAPD catch criminals

LOS ANGELES – License plate readers are in operation in the northwestern San Fernando Valley, where police say they are already catching criminals.

The LAPD said a suspect wanted in a robbery of a 93-year-old man in a Costco parking lot was caught using license plate readers.

“This part of Los Angeles will be the first and currently only district in the City of Los Angeles to benefit from the installation of these cameras at fixed locations throughout the district,” said Councilman John Lee.

Councilman Lee allocated $500,000 to install 100 readers, called ALPRs, in his 12th Ward, which stretches from Northridge to West Hills.

If the cameras detect a license plate that is associated with crime, the police are automatically notified.

“Based on some ALPR hits that we were able to identify, we were able to locate this vehicle. The same suspect was identified in two other robberies in the Valley, and this is an example of how much they have truly enriched our investigation during this time,” said LAPD Captain Kathleen Buns.

License plate readers already installed in 1,500 LAPD vehicles use the same technology, which has been criticized as intrusive and an invasion of privacy. But the LAPD’s acting chief says they only target license plates involved in crimes.

“After two years, the data is deleted and is available to system administrators for up to five years. After that everything will be deleted. “So there are robust systems in place to prevent the system from being abused,” said LAPD Interim Chief Dominic Choi.

Choi said the mobile units stationed at the ministry’s southern office had already helped “solve a number of murders.”

Police say if you happen to drive past a reader and your driver’s license is expired, that information should not be forwarded to the DMV or police.