How to Find Vehicle Intelligence from Surveillance Footage

In many investigations, the key to solving a case is hidden in plain sight—parked at the curb, turning out of frame, or simply passing by. Surveillance footage has become a critical tool in modern policing, but investigators risk missing actionable leads without the ability to extract and identify vehicle data from that footage. That’s where tools like PlateRanger™ Agent come in. By enabling fast, automated license plate recognition (ALPR) from fixed or third-party surveillance footage, PlateRanger Agent helps agencies transform raw video into usable vehicle intelligence.

Why Vehicle Intelligence Matters

Over 75% of crimes in the U.S. involve a vehicle, making vehicle data one of the most important forms of investigative evidence available today. Whether it’s identifying a suspect vehicle in a hit-and-run, tracking a getaway car after a robbery, or linking a stolen vehicle to a larger crime pattern, knowing what vehicles were at a scene—and when—is vital.

However, using traditional surveillance footage in investigations can be a challenge. Investigators often spend hours scrubbing through video from traffic cams, convenience stores, parking lots, or residential doorbell cameras. Even when a license plate is visible, extracting it manually is slow and prone to human error.

Enter PlateRanger Agent: Turning Video into Searchable Data

PlateRanger™ Agent, part of SoundThinking’s PlateRanger ecosystem, offers a powerful solution. It uses AI-powered ALPR software to extract plate reads from PlateRanger-compliant cameras into an LPR system, turning that footage into actionable insights.

And with that footage, agencies can run PlateRanger Agent through the Rekor Public Safety Network and connected systems like CrimeTracer. What sets PlateRanger Agent apart is its ability to work from video footage, enabling cameras already in place to conduct ALPR searches.

From Frame to Lead: A Step-by-Step Approach

Here’s how agencies can use PlateRanger Agent to find vehicle intelligence from surveillance footage:

1. Use Surveillance Footage to Find Vehicle Intelligence
   • Scan PlateRanger Agent compliant video feeds from surveillance cameras connected to the system.
2. Surveillance Video and PlateRanger Agent
   • PlateRanger Agent will scan the video and extract license plate data, vehicle make, model, and color intelligence, time-stamps, and associated vehicle imagery.
3. Search and Filter Results
   • Investigators can view results in the PlateRanger platform.
   • Filter by vehicle type and time window, or search for partial plates if only part of the tag is visible in the footage.
4. Enrich with External Data
   • When integrated with the other law enforcement systems, ALPR hits can be cross-referenced with local, regional, and national vehicle intelligence databases, like CrimeTracer™.
   • Agencies can flag matches for stolen vehicles, known suspect vehicles, or other alerts noted in PlateRanger. And when integrated with systems like CrimeTracer, the vehicle data can be used to look for matches and patterns tied to previous cases.
5. Connect the Dots
   • Once a plate or vehicle is identified, it can be used to develop leads, confirm timelines, or support witness statements.
   • Investigators can combine vehicle movement data with field interviews, BOLOs, or RMS records to build a stronger case.

PlateRanger and CrimeTracer integration search results on a license plate.

Fast, Scalable, and Easy to Deploy

The PlateRanger Agent software is flexible enough to run on existing hardware or in cloud environments. It can be deployed on laptops or workstations at the agency level, making it a practical choice for investigative teams of all sizes. Because it’s part of the PlateRanger ecosystem, data extracted with PlateRanger Agent doesn’t sit in isolation. It’s designed to feed into larger investigative workflows, allowing integration with crime analytics tools and search engines like CrimeTracer.

What to Look for in an ALPR Tool

When choosing an ALPR solution, five key considerations are the data network, improved investigative capabilities, integration with other technologies, accuracy with license plate reads, and compliance with legal and privacy standards. PlateRanger Agent checks all five boxes. PlateRanger and PlateRanger Agent check those boxes:

• Connects to a broad, reliable vehicle intelligence network.
• Retrospective search, partial plate recognition, and visual context to enhance investigations.
• Easily integrates with investigative tools, case management systems, and real-time crime centers through APIs, enabling a seamless flow of actionable data.
• High plate read accuracy across varying speeds, angles, and lighting ensures that vehicle data extracted from surveillance or mobile video is reliable and court-admissible.
• It can be configured to align with relevant data retention policies and privacy regulations to protect civil liberties, maintain public trust, and ensure secure evidence handling.

Every Frame Tells a Story

In an era where vehicles are central to criminal activity, the ability to extract actionable intelligence from surveillance video can make the difference between a stalled case and a successful arrest. PlateRanger Agent bridges that critical gap by turning ordinary footage into a powerful investigative tool. Whether the video comes from a building-mounted surveillance camera or any other compliant camera, PlateRanger Agent can use that video to identify vehicle license plates and vehicle make, model, and color during specified time frames at certain locations, quickly generating leads. And PlateRanger Agent can be used alone or as a supplement to PlateRanger cameras.

PlateRanger Agent offers a scalable and efficient solution to strengthen investigations by combining high-performance ALPR capabilities with seamless integration. It gives law enforcement professionals the tools to make sense of raw video and unlock meaningful leads when time and accuracy matter most. As surveillance footage continues to play a growing role in policing, solutions like PlateRanger Agent ensure that every frame has the potential to drive an investigation forward.

Ready to uncover leads from surveillance footage? Talk to our team about deploying PlateRanger Agent.