The Culver City Police Department released a statement to say that on Monday, September 27 at 11:25 p.m., they received an Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) notification that a vehicle stolen from a neighboring area was on Jefferson Boulevard and Slauson Avenue.
“An officer located the vehicle and made a traffic stop on Washington Boulevard,” the CCPD said. “The suspect was arrested and a loaded firearm (ghost gun) and ammunition was located inside the vehicle. Additionally, a wallet belonging to a different person was located on the suspect. The suspect was arrested for multiple charges. The recovered stolen vehicle and the wallet will be reunited with their rightful owners.”
It was May of 2023 that the City Council voted 3-2 in favor of a contract for Flock Safety Group to provide an automated license plate recognition system.
A presentation by the Culver City PD at the time pointed out that, “over 70 percent of crimes committed are associated with the use of a vehicle; ALPR technology has become an industry standard that has proven to be an effective and efficient way for law enforcement to detect, solve, prevent and deter crime in an unbiased manner; Thousands of law enforcement agencies across the nation are utilizing this emerging technology, with successful results.”
The CCPD listed the community benefits of the system as including: locating stolen vehicles that enter the city, locating vehicles entering the city that are wanted in connection to felony crimes, providing CCPD with investigative leads into crimes committed within the city, and detecting vehicles associated with missing/at-risk persons.
However, while the benefits are clear, critics are concerned about the lack of privacy and attack on civil liberties. Some public speakers stated that Flock has the right to share the information with whomever they choose, but a Flock spokesperson stressed that isn’t the case. The Gardena PD said that it would be against state law to share the information with law enforcement from other states.
In June of this year, the technology led to the arrest of a man believed to be wanted in a homicide case in a neighboring Los Angeles area.
The arrest was made after ALPR systems alerted the CCPD to a vehicle wanted by another law enforcement agency in connection with the homicide.
According to a statement released by the police, “When officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop, the driver fled. After a brief vehicle pursuit, the suspect bailed out of the car near the 5900 block of Green Valley Circle. After a short foot pursuit, the suspect was taken into custody.”
This latest incident will provide further vindication for the use of the technology.
