Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR)

ALPR technology uses a combination of cameras and computer software to scan the license plates of passing vehicles. The cameras, which can be fixed (e.g., mounted on road signs or traffic lights), capture computer-readable images that allow law enforcement to compare plate numbers against plates of known stolen vehicles or vehicles associated with individuals wanted on criminal charges. When the system matches a license plate, law enforcement receives an alert with the location where the image of the vehicle with the matching plate was captured. As a part of an active investigation, detectives can also use ALPR data after a crime has been committed to identify and locate associated vehicles.

ALPR technology is used by the Sheriff's Office to solve many crimes.  Recent years have seen regional increases in catalytic converter thefts, auto burglaries, vehicle thefts and organized retail thefts. Those responsible for such crimes commonly use a vehicle to travel to and flee from the crime scene. The offenders often engage in a series of criminal offenses involving multiple jurisdictions and victims, and commonly arrive in a stolen vehicle, a vehicle bearing stolen plates, or a vehicle that law enforcement has previously connected to verified criminal activity.

Identifying stolen or wanted vehicles, via ALPR technology installed at fixed locations, as they enter a target area provides law enforcement an opportunity to intervene before additional crimes are committed, and potentially apprehend wanted persons or recover stolen property.  ALPR data also provides investigators with an additional technique to identify, locate and apprehend offenders once a crime has already occurred.

The use of ALPR technology provides several benefits, including crime deterrence, real-time alerts to deputies when stolen or wanted vehicles enter an area, and enhanced investigative capabilities when a crime has already occurred.

• Deterrence: Even if deputies are unable to locate and stop the vehicle in question, suspects may see the deputies respond and be deterred from further criminal activity. Indeed the mere presence of the ALPR cameras, visibly mounted on public infrastructure and potentially accompanied by signage, may act as a deterrent. Law enforcement personnel have reported to staff that some criminals will intentionally target jurisdictions without ALPR technology to increase their chances of successfully avoiding detection while committing crimes.

• Real-Time Alerts: When a real-time ALPR alert occurs, notifying deputies of the presence of a wanted or stolen vehicle, deputies can respond to the area to search for the vehicle. If deputies locate the vehicle, prior to making an enforcement stop, they visually confirm the plate number and manually check it against law enforcement databases to confirm the accuracy of the ALPR information and the legal justification for the stop.

• Solve Crimes Already Committed: In addition to providing opportunities to prevent crime and apprehend wanted persons via real-time alerts, ALPR data is used by investigators to solve crimes that have already occurred.  Commonly, by the time a crime is reported to law enforcement, the suspects have already fled the area, and it is the job of law enforcement to identify and locate the suspects at a later time.  While victims and witnesses can often provide responding officers with a description of the vehicle used by a suspect, those descriptions are frequently incomplete (e.g., a partial license plate number, vehicle type and color only) or consist of a license plate number that corresponds to a stolen vehicle or a stolen plate.  Investigators can turn that imperfect or incomplete information into actionable leads by querying the ALPR database.

• Regional Coordination: ALPR data sharing among local law enforcement partners allows agencies to collaboratively investigate, identify and apprehend multi-jurisdictional offenders, or those who commit crimes in one jurisdiction but reside in another.

• Expanded Searchable Data Set: Private entities (e.g., homeowners associations, shopping centers, individual retailers) utilizing ALPR cameras can also elect to share their data with local law enforcement, to include real-time alerts when wanted or stolen vehicles are captured. This is a one-way share of information; a private entity that shares its ALPR data with law enforcement does not gain access to law enforcement data in return. The investigative usefulness of an ALPR system is greatly enhanced as its searchable data set increases, whether from other law enforcement contributors or private entities.

The system captures the following information:

• Date, time, and location
• License plate (including the state, the plate number or partial plate number, or the absence of a license plate)
• Vehicle characteristics (the make, model, type, and color)
• A photo of the rear of the vehicle showing the license plate

The system is not intended to capture images of vehicle occupants (ALPR cameras would photograph passing vehicles from the rear).

The system does not use facial recognition technology.

Here is a sample ALPR image:

ALPR Data Retention

Within the Flock portal, all data will be automatically deleted when it hits that 30-day mark on a rolling pattern. If there is any data tied to a case or an active investigation, it would manually be taken out of the system by an investigating deputy. Data and images manually downloaded are treated as evidence and subject to laws, policies, and procedures that govern their use.

In accordance with the SCCDA Record Retention and Destruction Policy, ALPR data will be stored according to the following schedule:

Data Accessible by Law Enforcement

The Sheriff's Office has access to various data collected by the ALPR system. The data collected is stored securely and is only accessible by authorized personnel within the Sheriff's Office as a part of an official investigation, including investigating criminal activities, locating missing persons, and other public safety objectives. The Sheriff's Office ensures that the access and use of ALPR data comply with all relevant laws and policies to protect individual privacy and civil liberties.

The City will review the annual report and provide feedback to the Sheriff's Office as needed. The City will also post a summary of the annual report on the City's website for public information.

Residents and neighborhoods with their own Flock cameras placed on private property have the option to enable sharing of license plate data captured on their private Flock cameras with the City’s system. The data can only flow one way to the City system; residents and neighborhood groups will never receive data or notifications from the City system.
 
If a private Flock camera detects a license plate on a law enforcement database, the Sheriff’s Office will be informed so that a deputy can be deployed to the camera location for further investigation, just as they would if a match was captured by one of the City of Cupertino ALPR cameras. 

Follow the steps below to enable data sharing:

1. Log into the Flock System
2. Click on Organization Management
3. Click on Cameras
4. Click on Share
5. Search for and select Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office

If you have any difficulties, email support@flocksafety.com, and indicate you would like to share data with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. Flock will then take care of the setup. You can also opt to share data with other neighboring law enforcement agencies.