The Laurens Police Department Installing 25 License Plate Reading Cameras to Help Solve Crime

April 21, 2023
During the week of April 20, 2023, the Laurens Police Department started installing 25 automated license plate reading (ALPR) cameras to solve and reduce crime. This installation will take place over the course of the next few weeks. The cameras are built by Flock Safety, the public safety technology company that helps neighborhoods, communities, and law enforcement work together to fight crime.
Flock Safety ALPR cameras send a real-time alert to law enforcement when a stolen car or known wanted suspect from a state or national crime database is detected. They also send alerts if a vehicle associated with a missing person in an AMBER or Silver Alert is detected.
The Flock Safety system also helps law enforcement solve crime by providing the objective evidence needed for investigations. According to the International Association of Chiefs of Police, 7 in 10 crimes are committed with a vehicle. Flock Safety ALPR cameras capture license plates and vehicle characteristics, not people or faces. Each search requires a justification, and the data is never sold or shared with third parties. The cameras are used to solve and reduce property and violent crime, and are not intended for minor traffic or parking violations.
“We wanted to ensure that our police department is doing everything in our power to best serve the population and keep people safe using the most cost effective means to do so. The cost for these cameras was paid for by local businesses pledging to sponsor cameras for a period of up to 5 years. They will serve as a force multiplier in our endeavors to make Laurens the safest city in the State of SC. These cameras are like adding hundreds of officers to our staff, but without the expense. The data collected will alert officers in real time of wanted persons, missing persons, stolen vehicles, and other important investigative leads. This is a game changer for our department and criminals need to be on notice that if you are committing crimes in Laurens we will arrest you. In addition to this technology assisting us in our crime fighting initiative, we are sharing this information with all surrounding law enforcement agencies in order to assist them as well,” said Chief Keith Grounsell.
Flock Safety cameras are in use in thousands of cities across the country, and they work with over 2,000 police departments. Communities using Flock Safety ALPR have reported crime reductions of up to 70%. “At Flock Safety, we believe in building strong bonds between police departments and the citizens they pledge to protect, and we’re proud to partner with the Laurens Police Department to help them in the pursuit of public safety,” said Garrett Langley, CEO of Flock Safety.
About Flock Safety: Flock Safety is a public safety operating system that helps cities, businesses, schools, and law enforcement to work together to stop crime, protect privacy, and mitigate bias. They build hardware and write software that captures the information police need to solve crime. Thousands of communities across the country use Flock’s proprietary devices and cloud-based software to solve upwards of 5 percent of all reported crime in America. Visit www.flocksafety.com for more information.