Policing with Automatic License Plate Recognition
The Pico Neighborhood Council, along with our neighbors to the southeast, the Mid City Neighborhood Council, voted and approved the purchase of an Automatice License Plate Recognition (ALPR) unit to be installed in one of the Wilshire Division squad cars by early summer. This bold step will assist a mobile LAPD unit by giving them a more efficient way to run numerous license plates in real time without taking away from their regular duties. All done automatically and in the background.
By tackling the very heart of the criminals’ ability to travel, a whole range of criminality can be prevented. Volume crimes such as auto-crime and burglary at one end of the spectrum, right up to terrorism, drug-trafficking and homicide at the other end can be more effectively policed using Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology.
Research has shown that patrol officers equipped with the technology can be as much as 12x as effective, in terms of performance, than officers working without it. This will deliver reductions in crime, enhanced community safety and safer roads.
The new mobile unit will have the most advanced and accurate Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) software available worldwide. It works by capturing digital license plate images as they pass a camera, whether mobile or fixed.
The plates are automatically scanned and cross-checked in real time against multiple local,regional, statewide and, if appropriate, national databases to identify vehicles that are of interest to the authorities.
The databases include auto theft, felony warrants, parking violations, or any other license plate-oriented databases, such as Amber Alerts, NCIC downloads, etc., that LAPD wishes to use. In fact, the software can access multiple databases simultaneously and report not only matches but which database contained the vehicle of interest.
When a positive match is received, officers are alerted by an audio and/or visual alarm. They, then, respond to the "hit" in the appropriate manner for that agency. Until an alert occurs, the system operates in the background, allowing them to perform their regular police activities.
With potential budgetary shortfalls and possible reductions in city services, Pico NC felt it a necessary step in striving to keep the community safe by providing our LAPD with such a useful, powerful and efficient piece of technology.
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As part of a beautification effort, Pico Neighborhood Council is sponsoring a cleanup of Pico Blvd. This cleanup will be implemented in 3 phases: 1) sweeping and weeding (including tree wells), 2) trash and illegal poster removal, and finally 3) pressure washing. The work will take place on June 1st, 15th and 29th. 
Well maintained streets and neighborhoods help drive down crime, encourages patrons to frequent our local businesses and increases the quality of our lives. Businesses will be encouraged to become more familiar with the Pico Neighborhood Council and perhaps the formation of a business improvement district which would go a long way to improving our area.
Have you ever wondered how our councilman, or any other councilperson, may have voted on any issue facing the City Council? Wonder no further!
