5 Benefits Of Using Automatic License Plate Recognition

Thanks to advances in technology like Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things, the way we deal with security has improved in many ways. Security, in general, has become more sophisticated but one way, in particular, is making it more effective than ever. Automatic license plate recognition is helping law enforcement and private security keep tabs on who comes and goes without wasting time and resources. 

ALPR is used to record license plates automatically anytime a car enters or exits a facility or road so that it can be used by parking lots in airports, toll roads, and so much more. It is technology that uses a lot of cutting edge components that weren’t available until recently. In this article, we will go over several of the benefits that arise from using this new technology. 

1. Extra Security

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Many facilities used to have to rely on CCTV to make sure that there were no security issues happening. It was a very reactive type of process since it requires somebody to review the video and try to spot the identity of many of the vehicles coming and going. 

Since this technology allows license plates to be scanned and checked automatically, it has enhanced security in many ways. In this way, only approved vehicles are allowed entry into sensitive areas and if there is somebody who has been banned from a location, this system picks up on it automatically. 

It can also help to prevent any problems since people are not likely to commit a crime when they know that there is a system like this in place that is recording their information. 

2. Uses Fewer Resources

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This system allows security personnel to monitor many different areas at ofnce without lowering the effectiveness of their surveillance. This means that there are fewer people required to get the job done and it is more effective as a bonus. 

Since most facilities require 24/7 monitoring, this will reduce the cost of such a system since there are fewer people required to be active in the surveillance. 

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3. Accuracy is Improved

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If every license plate would have to be photographed and then manually entered into a search database, this would not only take far too long to do but there is a risk of mistakes being made. This is how things slip through the cracks and go unnoticed. 

When it is done automatically, the accuracy is much higher and there is less chance of somebody getting through security or being able to run from a crime they’ve committed. When time is a factor and somebody would need to see and then record the entire license plate as things are happening then this is a system that is basically unworkable. 

Having ALPR means that this is not an issue as it can work much faster and with greater accuracy. Since eyewitnesses are unreliable, having a system like this removes that issue.

4. Provides Usable Data

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Decision-making often relies on data that is reliable and usable. Using this technology provides this in a way that helps people make decisions such as how to improve security or if there need to be changes to the facility. 

There is a lot of data that comes from license plate recognition such as the time of day when there is the most demand for parking spaces, for example. Or, to understand where most of the traffic is coming from on a certain road or throughway. This data is very granular and is able to paint a detailed picture for the researchers that would ordinarlity need some other form of specialized equipment to be able to garner information that isn’t even as detailed as it could be. 

5. Theft Recovery

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Stolen cars are rarely ever recovered except when they get abandoned. This is because a stolen car being driven is going to blend in with all the other traffic. If the thief doesn’t break any traffic laws then they will go unnoticed. When there are ALPR devices being used then every car passing by is scanned and a stolen vehicle will appear immediately. Now law enforcement knows the car is stolen and can respond right away. It takes a lot of resources and manpower to find a stolen car which is why the recovery rate is so low. This frees up those resources so you don’t need a dedicated team to look for stolen cars as the system does it for you.