I read a recent story in the Des Moines Register about License Plate Reader technology and came away relieved that law enforcement leaders are looking to combat crime. Human trafficking is a heinous crime plaguing our communities yet it often goes undetected. This innovative technology will play a key role in fighting these crimes.
Because traffickers move victims frequently across jurisdictions, it’s critical to embrace technology to put an end to these horrible crimes. LPR technology offers law enforcement a powerful tool to disrupt these criminal networks. LPR systems can instantly cross-reference vehicle plates against databases of cars associated with known trafficking operations, alert officers in real time when a flagged vehicle passes a checkpoint. When a victim is reported missing, that vehicle data can become the critical lead that breaks a case open.
Task forces using LPR data have identified stash houses, intercepted vehicles transporting victims, and linked suspects across state lines, connections that would have taken weeks to establish through traditional detective work.
With an estimated 27 million people trapped in trafficking worldwide, we cannot afford to leave effective investigative tools on the table. LPR has life-saving potential and the time has come to embrace this innovative technology.
- Lori Tiangco
Des Moines
