About
ALPR cameras are a significant enhancement to our existing public safety initiatives and are strategically placed to enhance crime prevention and investigative capabilities.
ALPR’s have been in place in Anne Arundel County since 2012 and are used by thousands of law enforcement agencies across the country. The modern ALPR system is an environmentally-friendly solar-powered, stationary, pole-mounted reader that interacts with patrol officers and detectives.
Key Advantages
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Significant improvements in crime prevention
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Ability to conduct enhanced investigations
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Increased success in vehicle recovery
Trust, Privacy, and Transparency
Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) are used solely for legitimate law enforcement purposes, such as investigating stolen vehicles, violent crimes, and locating missing persons, all of which are governed by Maryland state law and our internal policy.
- ALPR Data is deleted after 30 days, unless retained for a legitimate law enforcement purpose.
- The use of ALPR technology is strictly regulated by Maryland Public Safety Article 3-509. This law dictates the acceptable uses of ALPR technology and protects against potential misuse.
History
Our existing use of Automated License Plate Readers has already proven invaluable in criminal and serious motor vehicle crash investigations in areas where they have been deployed. We have seen significant improvements in crime prevention, enhanced investigation capabilities, and increased success in vehicle recovery. Our systems automatically capture license plate information and vehicle characteristics, which allows officers to quickly identify and locate vehicles associated with criminal activity, stolen vehicles, or individuals wanted in connection with crimes. The data collected provides valuable leads for ongoing investigations, enabling law enforcement to identify suspects and gather crucial evidence, ultimately contributing to higher case clearance rates.
Contact
If you have questions about the Automated License Plate Reader Program, please contact our ALPR Program at PoliceALPR@aacounty.org.
Success Stories
The following examples illustrate how the Automated License Plate Reader Program significantly enhances criminal investigations.
Success Story 1 | |
Success Story 2 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Per Maryland Public Safety Article 3-509, “Automatic license plate reader system” means a system of one or more mobile or fixed high–speed cameras used in combination with computer algorithms to convert images of license plates into computer–readable data.”
The Anne Arundel County Police Department currently operates 88 fixed LPR locations.
Cameras are placed at strategically selected public locations based on several factors: crime statistics, common vehicular ingress and egress points, and traffic volume.
The Anne Arundel County Police Department uses Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology in accordance with departmental policy and Maryland state law to support criminal investigations and enhance public safety. The system, which uses a combination of mobile cameras on police vehicles and fixed cameras monitoring public roads, is used for legitimate law enforcement purposes, such as investigating crimes or locating wanted and missing persons. ALPR converts a license plate image into "captured plate data," which includes the plate number, a photo, and the time, date, and location of the scan.
To ensure responsible use and protect privacy, departmental policies and state law provide strict accountability. Access to ALPR data is restricted to trained personnel, and the department conducts audits to ensure its lawful use. As required by law, the department also reports specific system metrics to the Maryland General Assembly. Under the Maryland Public Safety Article, all captured data is the property of the police department and cannot be sold by the agency or its vendors. Vendor access to data is prohibited without express authorization, and any employee or vendor who violates these state regulations is subject to criminal penalties.
All ALPR data will be retained for no longer than 30 days. After 30 days, ALPR data is automatically deleted from the system unless it has become evidence in an investigation.