Automatic License Plate Recognition Software Could Benefit Cities

One problem that many cities across the globe face is drivers who run red lights. When a driver runs a red light they can cause an accident to take place. This has prompted Windsor, Ontario to install red light cameras so that they can catch the offenders.
One problem that many drivers have stated is that these cameras do not do very much. They would prefer that automatic number license plate recognition software be used. This is technology that can read a driver’s license plate numbers and track down offenders who have broken the law. Some drivers feel that installing them on police cars would be very helpful at accomplishing this task.
Politicians have stated that investing in this type of technology would cost too much money.

Supporters of the idea have said that cops could use mobile units and go from place to place and be effective at reading license plate numbers. The act alone would help to find drivers who are uninsured, locate people with outstanding warrants, and help to deter criminals from committing crimes such as car theft.
In today’s economy, many police officers are being let go because budgets are stretched too thin. When technology can be used, it should be utilized to help make cities safer. These mobile units can read hundreds of license plates per day which is a huge help to the police force.

When a human being is assigned this task, they can often become distracted or make mistakes when they take down the license plate numbers and check them. 
This technology is great because if a person does not have car insurance coverage then an alert will come up so that the driver of the vehicle can be cited for the infraction. It is important to find and ticket uninsured drivers because they pose a hazard to other drivers who are on the road. The units do not need to be manned so they could actually save police departments’ money and manpower hours.

One issue with red light cameras is that some drivers use illegal license plates which make reading the numbers almost impossible. There are also issues with people having illegally tinted windows so that police officers cannot identify their faces or look into their vehicles. It is important for cities like Windsor to be able to use technology so that they can devote more manpower hours to keeping the streets safe.
Many new innovations have been created to help law enforcement officers track down people who are breaking the law. This type of software could help car insurance companies be able to have more policy holders because uninsured drivers would be getting fined often so they would catch up on their premium payments.