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Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR)
Since December 2023, the Twin Falls Police Department has been using Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) technology to support our mission of keeping our community safe. ALPR has proven to be a valuable tool, helping officers work more efficiently, solve cases faster, and proactively protect our community. It assists in locating stolen vehicles, missing persons, vulnerable adults, at-risk individuals, and suspects in criminal cases.
These cameras serve two primary purposes. First, they provide real-time alerts when a vehicle listed in state or national criminal databases is detected, enabling officers to respond and take appropriate enforcement action. This includes incidents involving stolen vehicles, wanted subjects, AMBER Alerts, and other vehicles associated with serious crimes.
Second, the ALPR system serves as a valuable investigative tool. It allows authorized personnel to review data to identify vehicles connected to criminal activity after an incident has occurred, such as a burglary, hit-and-run collision, or a suspect fleeing the scene of a crime. Our ALPR system is only used to investigate misdemeanor and felony crimes and is not used for infraction violations.
The Twin Falls Police Department respects the privacy of our community members. Our ALPR technology captures images of the license plates and vehicle characteristics only. It does not photograph vehicle occupants and does not use facial recognition technology.
We encourage community members to visit these resources for more information about our polices, Idaho Code, and up-to-date usage information.
- Flock Transparency Portal Website
- Twin Falls Police Department ALPR Policy
- Idaho Code 49-1432 Automated License Plate Readers
Explore this page to learn more about our use of ALPR technology and the frequently asked questions.
ALPR technology uses a combination of cameras and computer software to scan the license plates of passing vehicles.
These computer-readable images of license plates allow the police to compare plate numbers against plates of wanted vehicles associated with wanted persons, missing persons, and stolen vehicles.
ALPR cameras are positioned at fixed locations in Twin Falls to capture rear license plates only and are not designed to capture images of vehicle occupants or utilize facial recognition technology. To derive maximum benefit with the fewest cameras needed, cameras are typically placed at strategically-selected locations based on several factors: crime statistics, common vehicular ingress and egress points, and traffic volume.
ALPR technology is used by the Twin Falls Police Department to solve all sorts of crimes. Those responsible for such crimes commonly use a vehicle to travel to and flee from the crime scene. Moreover, such offenders often engage in a series of criminal offenses involving multiple jurisdictions and victims.
Identifying stolen or wanted vehicles, via ALPR technology installed at fixed locations, as they enter a target area provides law enforcement an opportunity to intervene before additional crimes are committed, and potentially apprehend wanted persons or recover stolen property. ALPR data also provides investigators with an additional technique to identify, locate, and apprehend offenders once a crime has already occurred.
The use of ALPR technology provides several benefits, including crime deterrence, real-time alerts to police when stolen or wanted vehicles enter an area, and enhanced investigative capabilities when a crime has already occurred.
- Deterrence: Even if officers are unable to locate and stop the vehicle in question, suspects may see the police response and be deterred from further criminal activity. Indeed the mere presence of the ALPR cameras, visibly mounted on public infrastructure and potentially accompanied by signage, may act as a deterrent. Police personnel have reported to staff that some criminals will intentionally target jurisdictions without ALPR technology to increase their chances of successfully avoiding detection while committing crimes.
- Real-Time Alerts: When a real-time ALPR alert occurs, notifying police of the presence of a wanted or stolen vehicle, officers can respond to the area to search for the vehicle. If officers locate the vehicle, prior to making an enforcement stop, they visually confirm the plate number and manually check it against law enforcement databases to confirm the accuracy of the ALPR information and the legal justification for the stop.
- Solve Crimes Already Committed: In addition to providing opportunities to prevent crime and apprehend wanted persons via real-time alerts, ALPR data is used by investigators to solve crimes that have already occurred. Commonly, by the time a crime is reported to police, the suspects have already fled the area, and it is the job of police to identify and locate the suspects at a later time. While victims and witnesses can often provide responding officers with a description of the vehicle used by a suspect, those descriptions are frequently incomplete (e.g., a partial license plate number, vehicle type and color only) or consist of a license plate number that corresponds to a stolen vehicle or a stolen plate. Investigators can turn that imperfect or incomplete information into actionable leads by querying the ALPR database.
- Regional Coordination: ALPR data sharing among local law enforcement partners allows agencies to collaboratively investigate, identify and apprehend multi-jurisdictional offenders, or those who commit crimes in one jurisdiction but reside in another.
The system captures the following information:
- Date, time, and location
- License plate (including the state, the plate number or partial plate number, or the absence of a license plate)
- Vehicle characteristics (the make, model, type, and color)
- A photo of the rear of the vehicle showing the license plate
The system is not intended to capture images of vehicle occupants (ALPR cameras would photograph passing vehicles from the rear).
The system does not use facial recognition technology.
Here is a sample ALPR image:
Data captured by ALPR technology is automatically purged after 30 days, unless a specific record has been identified as relevant to a specific criminal investigation.
Who within the Police Department can access the data?
- Data obtained from ALPR technology is only accessible to properly trained staff with a legitimate law enforcement need, and all queries are logged and subject to audit. This is consistent with decades-long legal standards of access to other law enforcement computer databases, like driver license information, vehicle registration information, and criminal history records. Unlawful use of law enforcement computer databases is against state law, and subjects personnel to civil and criminal liability as well as discipline up to and including termination.
Are neighboring police agencies using ALPR technology?
- Other local communities are currently using fixed ALPR technology.
Where in Twin Falls are the ALPR cameras located?
- To derive maximum benefit with the fewest cameras needed, cameras are placed at strategically-selected locations based on several factors: crime statistics, common vehicular ingress and egress points, and traffic volume.
How many cameras are there?
- Forty. These cover key areas of Twin Falls.
How long do you store the data?
- Data captured by ALPR technology is automatically purged after 30 days, unless a specific record has been identified as relevant to a specific criminal investigation.
Does ALPR technology use facial recognition software?
- No.
Does ALPR technology capture my picture while I drive my car?
- ALPR cameras are not designed to capture images of vehicle occupants or utilize facial recognition technology. They are positioned at fixed locations designed to capture images of rear license plates only.
Does ALPR technology provide constant surveillance of members of the public?
- No. ALPR technology only provides authorized law enforcement personnel with information about a vehicle located on a public roadway for a single moment in time at a single location. This information is only used by law enforcement to provide potential leads to support criminal investigations.
Does the Police Department share its ALPR data with other local police agencies?
- Yes. ALPR data sharing among local law enforcement partners allows agencies to collaboratively investigate, identify, and apprehend multi-jurisdictional offenders, or those who commit crimes in one jurisdiction but reside in another.
Is ALPR data used for immigration purposes?
- No.
Can I read the policy on ALPR usage?
- Yes. To view the policy governing our use of ALPR technology, visit our ALPR Policy.