Automatic license plate reading cameras help WFPD solve, reduce & prevent crime

The Wake Forest Police Department (WFPD) is partnering with Flock Safety to lease 25 automatic license plate reading (ALPR) cameras to help solve, reduce, and prevent crime in our community. 

Connected to state and national crime databases, the ALPR system provides real-time alerts to officers when a stolen or wanted vehicle passes a license plate reading camera. It also looks for vehicles linked to missing persons or Amber alerts.

Within 24 hours of activation on September 28, 2023, Wake Forest’s ALPR network helped WFPD recover three stolen vehicles. Since then, the system has aided in the recovery of six other reported stolen vehicles - all of which had been entered in the national crime database. The license plate readers have also been instrumental in locating a missing juvenile, recovering a firearm, and serving several outstanding warrants.

In addition to taking a photo of the license plate, the Flock Safety cameras capture the type, make, and color of a vehicle, along with other unique vehicle characteristics. The cameras do not include facial recognition capabilities and are not used for traffic enforcement.

Images obtained by the cameras are Criminal Justice Information Services compliant and automatically deleted every 30 days, by default.

According to the Flock website, its ALPR cameras are being used in approximately 3,700 communities nationwide.