Flock Safety Alternatives: Options for License Plate Recognition (LPR)

License plate recognition (LPR) technology has become a cornerstone for law enforcement agencies aiming to enhance public safety and streamline operations. However, not all LPR solutions are created equal. SoundThinking’s PlateRanger™ powered by Rekor®, stands out as a superior alternative to Flock Safety, offering unparalleled benefits and capabilities.

Law enforcement agencies face several challenges when implementing license plate recognition technology:

1. Investigative Benefits: Knowing the vehicles that come and go from crime areas helps find investigative leads quickly. Vehicle interdiction and convoy information is also helpful in tracking suspect vehicles, locating suspect vehicles, and increasing officers’ situational awareness.
2. Accuracy and Reliability: Inconsistent or inaccurate plate reads can lead to missed opportunities in investigations and enforcement.
3. Data Security: LPR systems for law enforcement need to be CJIS compliant, and it is crucial to ensure that collected data is stored securely and accessed only by authorized personnel.
4. Integration: Many LPRs are siloed from other systems, requiring staff time to move information and search other databases. LPRs that integrate with existing systems and databases can significantly enhance operational efficiency.
5. Saves Staff Time: LPR solutions must be automated and provide easy search and use capabilities.
6. Cost: Budget constraints for initial purchase and ongoing maintenance often limit the ability to implement and maintain comprehensive LPR systems.

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Flock Safety: Overview and Benefits

Flock Safety has gained popularity among community groups, homeowner’s associations, businesses, and law enforcement agencies for its easy-to-deploy, cost-effective LPR cameras. Here are some of its notable benefits:

• Ease of Use: Flock Safety’s cameras are straightforward to install and use, making them accessible with limited technical expertise. Flock OS also integrates with most Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) systems, allowing users to view the location of incidents in their CAD mapping.
• Cost-Effective: Their subscription-based model is budget-friendly. It includes installation, maintenance, and user training for one annual fee.
• Community Integration: Flock Safety promotes community engagement by allowing residents to participate in the surveillance network through community camera registration.
• Data Retention: Offering a 30-day retention period for all license plate reads, Flock Safety uses real-time routing with that historical data to predict vehicles’ direction.

Equally important are each LPR system’s limitations. Flock Safety cameras work well with standard plates in good lighting. Flock Safety’s read accuracy declines with stacked license plate characters, lower light settings, and front license plates. While Flock Safety offers several advantages, especially to community groups, its limitations can impact the effectiveness and efficiency of LPR technology for law enforcement.

PlateRanger Powered by Rekor: Overview and Benefits

Exceptional Investigative Benefits

One of PlateRanger’s exceptional features is its ability to speed up investigations. Add in the ability to integrate PlateRanger with other systems, and the ease of finding leads increases. Integrating PlateRanger with other systems like ShotSpotter for precise gunfire location and CrimeTracer to link with a large investigative database increases investigative capabilities exponentially.

• Additional Vehicle Characteristics: PlateRanger provides additional vehicle characteristics, such as make, model, color, state of origin, and direction of travel.
• Reviewing LPR Video Clips: Each license plate read produces a video clip. This allows historical vehicle leads, LPR video clips, and alerts for wanted vehicles to provide actionable and smarter investigative leads. Video clips provide additional situational context beyond vehicle identifiers, such as people exiting or entering the vehicle or seeing potential witnesses nearby.
• Crime Travel Patterns: Using PlateRanger’s historical data, law enforcement personnel can find information on a suspect vehicle’s travel routes. The travel pattern allows investigators to plan and prepare to apprehend criminals at safe times and in less populated locations.
• Advanced Search and Alerting: PlateRanger can search partial tags and even vehicles without plates using vehicle characteristics. Alerts can be configured to provide notice of partial matches as well.

PlateRanger integration with ShotSpotter.

Superior Accuracy and Reliability

PlateRanger utilizes advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to ensure exceptional accuracy in license plate recognition. Superior night images, often critical in criminal investigations, are accurate in low light conditions, providing reliable data for investigations and enforcement.

• High-Definition Captures: PlateRanger cameras deliver high-definition images, ensuring that license plates are readable even in challenging conditions such as night, low light, or adverse weather. PlateRanger also has high-accuracy reads for stacked lettering on license plates and front license plates and superior read rates at night and in lower-light environments.
• Real-Time Alerts: The system provides real-time alerts for hot-listed vehicles, such as NCIC stolen vehicles, AMBER, and Silver alerts, enabling immediate response from law enforcement. PlateRanger is configurable to alert on partial license plate matches as well.
• Ultimate Coverage at High Speed: Rekor Edge Pro covers up to 2 traffic lanes with a 75-foot maximum coverage range and can read license plates of vehicles traveling up to 70 mph.

Robust Data Security

PlateRanger prioritizes data security, ensuring all collected data is encrypted and stored securely. PlateRanger offers robust access controls, allowing only authorized personnel to access sensitive information.

• CJIS Compliance: PlateRanger adheres to the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) security policy, ensuring compliance with federal data protection standards.
• Auditable User Actions: PlateRanger audits all user searches and actions within the system for administrative recall. Additionally, PlateRanger can be configured to require a search reason for all user searches.
• Data Privacy: The system includes privacy settings that allow agencies to auto-delete scanned data based on their specific policies, ensuring adherence to privacy regulations.

Integration with Other Solutions

One of PlateRanger’s standout features is its ability to integrate seamlessly with existing law enforcement systems. This capability enhances operational efficiency and streamlines the investigative process.

• Compatibility with Other Systems: PlateRanger’s compatibility with other systems allows for vehicle alerts, such as stolen vehicle hits, AMBER and Silver alerts, and more integrated information.
• Integration with ShotSpotter: In the first quarter of 2025, PlateRanger can be integrated with SoundThinking’s ShotSpotter, providing valuable vehicle leads in gun-related crimes.
• Compatibility with CrimeTracer: Also in the first quarter of 2025, PlateRanger will integrate with CrimeTracer, offering seamless integration to the largest investigative database available.
• Integration with other LPR systems: In 2025, PlateRanger will be able to integrate other LPR system data, including reads and alert lists, providing a single pane of glass for customers with more than one system.

Scalability and Flexibility Saves Staff Time

Reviewing LPR video clips using precise date, time, and location can identify vehicles associated with the crime.

• Advanced Search: Historical data and search capabilities for license plates, partial plates, and vehicle characteristics save time for law enforcement staff. LPR video clips and alerts for wanted vehicles can speed up investigations and arrests.
• AI-Driven Industry-Leading Accuracy: PlateRanger’s artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities add advanced analytic and investigative functions to unsurpassed accuracy with license plate reads. The advanced search capability looks for crime trends and criminal organizations, saving staff time manually searching for the same vehicles through video.

PlateRanger integration with CrimeTracer.

Cost-Effective Solutions

While providing advanced features, PlateRanger remains cost-effective. It offers a single subscription price that includes 24/7/365 customer service and industry-leading read performance. PlateRanger is designed to be scalable, allowing agencies to expand their LPR coverage as needed without compromising performance. This flexibility ensures that the system can grow alongside the agency’s needs.

• Bundled Services: The subscription model includes all necessary services, ensuring no hidden costs or additional fees.
• Long-Term Savings: The system’s accuracy and reliability reduce the need for manual verification, saving time and resources.
• Remote Deployments: The option to bundle solar power enables remote deployments, making it easier to cover large and rural areas.
• Customizable Solutions: PlateRanger offers customizable solutions to meet the specific needs of different law enforcement agencies, regardless of size or location.

Other License Plate Recognition Solutions for Law Enforcement

Motorola Solutions

With Vigilant VehicleManager, Motorola Solutions offers a comprehensive LPR system that includes fixed and mobile cameras, analytic software, and investigative tools. Their solutions are known for high accuracy and robust data security features.

• Advanced Analytics: Vigilant Solutions provides detailed analytics and reporting tools, helping agencies identify trends and patterns.
• Data Sharing: Their platform supports secure data sharing between agencies, enhancing collaborative crime prevention and investigation efforts.

Genetec AutoVu

Genetec AutoVu is another leading LPR solution. It offers a range of hardware and software options to suit different law enforcement needs. The highly customizable system integrates well with other security and surveillance technologies.

• Customizable Alerts: AutoVu allows agencies to set up customized alerts for specific vehicles or events, improving response times.
• Integration Capabilities: The system integrates seamlessly with other Genetec products, creating a unified security platform.

Checklist for Picking the Best Flock Safety LPR Alternative

When selecting an LPR solution, consider the following factors to ensure you choose the best solution for your agency, the community, and your overall investigative needs:

• Investigative Benefits: Find an LPR solution that provides strong investigative benefits, such as quickly locating vehicle leads, the ability to search historical data, advanced analytics to unlock hidden patterns, and one that allows investigators to view video clips from the search.
• Accuracy and Reliability: Ensure the system provides high-definition captures and minimizes false positives and negatives. Consider advanced search capabilities and accuracy, along with information provided, such as vehicle characteristics and direction of travel.

• Data Security: Look for solutions that offer robust encryption, access controls, and compliance with CJIS and other relevant standards.
• Integration: Choose a system that integrates seamlessly with your existing technologies, such as ShotSpotter and CrimeTracer. Determine if the system has robust integration capabilities and can provide advanced analytics and search.

• Scalability and Flexibility to Save Time: Opt for a scalable solution that can grow with your agency’s needs now and in the future. Consider your agency’s need for advanced search capabilities.

• Cost-Effectiveness: Consider the total cost of ownership, including subscription fees, maintenance, upkeep, needed add-ons, training, and customer support.
• Customizability: Ensure the solution can be tailored to meet your agency’s needs.

Conclusion

While Flock Safety offers valuable benefits for law enforcement agencies, SoundThinking’s PlateRanger powered by Rekor provides a superior alternative with unmatched accuracy, investigative benefits, data security, integration capabilities, scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. PlateRanger stands out as the best choice for law enforcement. For more information on how PlateRanger’s LPR solution can benefit your agency, join us for our upcoming webinar.

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