Tools
“Mr. Lindfors,
Thank you for reaching out regarding this! I have reviewed the website and see that you have already invested a lot of time and effort into this endeavor, which I greatly appreciate. First, I support your proposal to install LPRCs. As you mentioned, we routinely find that suspects committing property crimes are utilizing a vehicle, and often are utilizing the same vehicle in multiple incidents. One obstacle to law enforcement is obtaining video that is sufficient in making a positive identification on a suspect vehicle. Doorbell cameras are the most common form of surveillance footage I receive. These are a great tool, but I am often not able to get what I need from what is provided. If you are able to obtain clear footage of vehicles entering the neighborhood with license plates, it would definitely be a huge advantage. One suggestion would be to have a camera angled to capture the occupants of the vehicle if that is possible. My other suggestion would be to compile a neighborhood list of residences with surveillance cameras. That would make following up on a crime or incident much easier and more efficient (You may have already addressed this on your website and I may have not found it).”
Hope this helps,
Detective Benjamin Baker 49738
Lexington Police Department
Bureau of Investigation
Property Crimes Section
Auto Crimes Unit
859.258.3733
Are the Entrance Cameras effective?
Depends...
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Believe they should bring world peace?
They're an abject failure.
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Want them to solve hunger and homelessness?
No, they are not effective.
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Would like them to put criminals behind bars?
They can certainly help.
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Feel that deterrence is the primary goal?
Nailed it.
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Some of our neighbors are more involved in the Safety and Security Program than others. These neighbors are situationally aware and regularly report unusual traffic or activity through the WhatsApp security chat group or other methods. These individuals have reported an observable and significant reduction in the amount of non-resident activity in our neighborhood since the License Plate Reading Cameras (LPRCs) were installed at our entrances. Reported instances of vehicle break-ins has declined sharply.
This was the primary role of these cameras in our security program.
One of our neighbors was injured during an event early last year. The LPRCs captured the license plate of the hit-and-run vehicle. The neighbor followed reporting procedures, contacting the S&S Committee after reporting the incident to law enforcement. We were able to provide the information to the police who then were able to conduct an investigation. The information also allowed our neighbor to pursue the perpetrators for reimbursement of medical bills, lost wages, etc. Information from the neighbor's home security and alerting systems provided additional valuable information, illustrating how the S&S program's multifaceted approach to the issues in our neighborhood work together.
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These cameras are NOT a panacea, they will not necessarily result in more arrests. What they ARE is a valuable component of an effective program to deter crime in the first place.
