Houston Police Department Implements ALPR Technology
The Houston Police Department is often looking for ways to improve safety amongst the individuals of the state and is constantly making the attempt to protect citizens from harm. Recently, they chose to implement advanced license plate readers (ALPR) to assist law enforcement in locating suspects.
The technology was revealed in June, and there are approximately 24 of the advanced license plate readers that are on their respective beats across six county patrol districts. Each district has three patrol cars that have the technology on board, except for in the Woodlands. In this county, there are four cars equipped with the recognition devices. The technology is mostly used to identify stolen vehicles. The ALPR system has already been credited with the recovery of six stolen vehicles. The Houston police have also used the machine to apprehend seven wanted individuals.
The advanced license plate readers cameras in the cars use infrared illumination to detect the characters off a license plate. The data is then cross-referenced digitally in the Texas Criminal Information Center and the National Crime Information Center. If there are any alerts, the police are informed and then they can pursue the vehicle that has been notified. The system also alerts individuals of any situations regarding sex offenders. For example, if a sex offender’s vehicle is located in a school zone, the system will notify the police so that they can take action.
The system can also be used in house, which allows a license plate number to be manually entered for detection purposes. If you have been arrested after you were detected by the new ALPR system you need to seek representation with a Houston criminal defense attorney promptly. A lawyer may be able to assist you in your case and prove that you are innocent of the crime that you have been charged with. At The Martinez Law Firm, there is a former U.S. Chief Prosecutor that can assist you with your case. Criminal Defense Attorney Herman Martinez understands criminal law from both sides, which can be very helpful when you are dealing with a complicated case.