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                            Library & Multimedia
 The Rapid Diffusion of License Plate Readers in US Law Enforcement Agencies
NCJ Number
              254772
Journal

*Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies and Management* Volume: 42 Issue: 3 Dated: 2019 Pages: 376-393
Author(s)
          Cynthia Lum;
                        Christopher S. Koper;
                        James Willis;
                        Stephen Happeny;
                        Heather Vovak;
                        Jordan Nichols
Date Published

2019
Length
              18 pages
Annotation
              This study documented the diffusion of license plate readers (LPRs) in U.S. law enforcement agencies, examining the variety, evolution, and tracking of their uses through a national survey.
Abstract
              Data were collected through a national, stratified, representative survey of U.S. law enforcement agencies with 100 or more officers. Survey findings indicate that LPR technology is currently used by at least two-thirds of larger police agencies, which represents a more than threefold increase in LPR acquisition in the last 10 years. The number of LPRs per agency, while small (about eight on average), has also more than doubled. Federal and state funding, advocacy by law enforcement leaders, and the intuitive appeal of LPRs have likely contributed to this rapid adoption. Although LPRs are still primarily used to detect and recover stolen automobiles in patrol, their use has expanded into other types of investigative and security functions. Despite the increased use and numbers of LPRs in policing, their use is highly discretionary and infrequently tracked. Thus, LPRs continue to be widely used in law enforcement, despite a lack of strong research evidence for their crime prevention benefits. Further studies are needed on the most effective ways for agencies to utilize small numbers of LPRs and the potential return on investment for acquiring larger numbers of the devices. (publisher abstract modified)
      
  
          Additional Details
Grant Number(s)
        2013-IJ-CX-0017


  
  
        
  Agencies
        NIJ-Sponsored


  
  
        
  Publication Type
        Survey
                                Research (Applied/Empirical)
                                Report (Study/Research)
                                Report (Grant Sponsored)
                                Program/Project Description


  
  
        
  Award
        Evaluating the Crime Control and Cost-Benefit Effectiveness of License Plate Recognition (LPR) Technology in Patrol and Investigations
    
  
  
Date Published: January 1, 2019
    
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