As INPUT attends this year's International Association Chiefs of Police / Law Enforcement Information Management (IACP / LEIM) Event in Atlanta, GA - a week filled with demonstrations and discussions on cutting edge technologies for law enforcement - we approached the morning sessions with great interest! We have blogged on Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) Systems before, and IACP / LEIM conferences are not new to this topic, so I was compelled to highlight a few things that made this presentation unique.

For one thing, attendees were treated to law enforcement speakers covering WHY they chose to implement this technology, WHERE they found the most substantiation in the deployment, WHAT they plan to do next, and WHERE we will see other advances and partnered technologies within a modern LPR system. All of this was supported with current survey data about these systems conducted by George Mason University.

Many officers expressed the need for coordination requirements for an ALPR System that can accommodate a jurisdiction like San Diego, along with the need to integrate the Automated Regional Justice Information System (ARJIS) data to Los Angeles and Orange County via Nlets. The Memphis Police Department also stressed the need for interoperability. Not only do the Memphis cameras support infrared capabilities (during routine traffic stops, etc.) and integrate with Records Management Systems (RMS) data, they also help highlight outstanding warrant info, associated mapping, and unpaid ticket violators. The latter feature is one that the agency finds the technology pays for itself; though the efficient features it brings to the officers and the safety it provides to Memphis' citizens is invaluable!

The agency claims a downturn in funding is the only thing preventing it from buying more units. While the George Mason University study is still in the processing stage of posting findings and assessments, it is already clear that these systems have significant market potential despite the slow adoption rate of smaller agencies, and eventually, they will be in HUGE demand by agencies of all sizes. Of the averages regarding the departments surveyed, it was said that less than 40% of large agencies (100+ Officers) have deployed these systems; over 90% of small agencies (>100 Officers) have not; and more than 50% of respondents claimed interest in planning for an ALPR System within the next 24 months.

INPUT is currently tracking several ALPR Projects within the State & Local Opportunities database, including:

1. Columbia, South Carolina
2. Dunwoody, Georgia
3. Henderson, Nevada
4. Davis, California
5. Illinois Department of Transportation (DOT)

Agencies, vendors, and manufacturers should consider:

• Expect data integrations from vendors - should maintain National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Data Standards
• Consider all interoperability concerns and needs before the Request for Proposals (RFP) process
• The consortiums of other agencies should be considered in an effort to share resources, infrastructure, data, and national sharing capabilities
• The ACCURACY of OCR is not as important as the CAPTURE RATE for LPR
• A drive-thru car wash will compromise the camera's capabilities for accuracy!

At 4 PM on Wednesday, May 26, 2010, INPUT Senior Analyst Jeff Webster will deliver a speech on "The FY2011 Federal Grants Forecast for Public Safety," here at the Atlanta IACP/LEIM Conference in Hanover Room DE. We look forward to seeing you there! For those who cannot attend, INPUT will host a Webinar on the topic on June 2nd, 2010.