[Scan-DC] License Plate Readers

[Alan Henney]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bruce Harper" <brucebharper at gmail.com>

> I'm curious about just how this all works. Is someone watching a monitor 
> in
> real time when alerted to a crime to see if a suspect vehicle passes
> through an intersection? Or is the information just stored and searched
> later to establish a time that a certain vehicle passed the camera? Plus,


MPD's SOCC (a/k/a CIC) inside MPD HQ monitors the ShotSpotters, LPR 
computers, handles the text tip messaging and 727-9099 tipline and makes and 
receives notifications, etc.

When the LPR system matches a tag to a serious offense, or when they get a 
ShotSpotter hit, or whatever, the SOCC comes up on the appropriate district 
channel and provides the details.

Back when we were still able to monitor the district channels, it made 
interesting listening.  The day the AU professor was murdered, even some of 
the officers seemed surprised how SOCC had the info about "vehicle used in a 
homicide" traveling on Benning Rd.  That was sort of the turning point where 
we realized how powerful this technology had become in D.C.

Ironically, by comparison, have the D.C. crime cameras had any success 
stories?  Seems the big winners so far are ShotSpotter and LPR.  Don't waste 
your federal $$ on grainy low-res surveillance video.

Alan