Automated License Plate Recognition Camera FAQs
Overview
Frequently Asked Questions about Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) cameras are used in Independence, what information they collect, and the policies that govern their use.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Automated License Plate Recognition, or ALPR, cameras are public-safety tools that capture still images of passing license plates and vehicles. The system converts the plate image into searchable letters and numbers and records basic information such as the date, time and camera location.
The Independence Police Department uses ALPR information for official law-enforcement purposes, including locating stolen vehicles, assisting with missing or endangered person cases, identifying vehicles associated with crimes and supporting criminal investigations.
No. “Flock” is the name of one company that provides ALPR technology. Independence’s current fixed ALPR cameras use Genetec technology. Although the brands may differ, ALPR systems generally perform the same basic function of capturing and recognizing license plates.
Automated License Plate Recognition cameras are used to support legitimate law-enforcement and public-safety activities. Examples include:
- Locating stolen vehicles or stolen license plates.
- Helping find missing or endangered people, including vehicles connected to AMBER Alerts.
- Identifying vehicles that may have been involved in or present near a crime.
- Providing investigators with leads in cases involving serious crimes, wanted persons or stolen property.
Independence’s ALPR cameras are not used for:
- Facial recognition or identifying drivers and passengers.
- Issuing speeding, red-light, parking or expired-registration citations.
- Recording continuous video or generally monitoring people’s daily activities.
- Selling information or sharing it with private companies for commercial purposes.
The system captures:
- An image of the license plate.
- A still image showing some or all of the vehicle.
- The date, time and location of the image.
Depending on lighting, weather, vehicle speed and direction of travel, the image may also help investigators identify the vehicle’s color, make, model or distinguishing features. The cameras do not record traditional continuous video.
No. Independence’s current ALPR cameras do not use facial-recognition technology and are not capable of being upgraded to perform facial recognition. Adding facial-recognition capability would require replacing the existing cameras with different equipment designed for that purpose.
The City’s ALPR cameras are specifically positioned and configured to read license plates and capture images of the rear of passing vehicles. They are directed toward the roadway and are not designed to observe or identify drivers, passengers or pedestrians.
Because of their placement, camera angle and the distortion created by vehicle windows, the system is not designed to capture clear images of people inside vehicles.
The cameras automatically read plates on vehicles that pass their locations, but they are not intended for general monitoring of individuals. ALPR searches must be connected to an official law-enforcement purpose, such as investigating a crime, locating a stolen vehicle or responding to an alert involving a wanted or endangered person.
Historical ALPR data may only be searched for official purposes under department policy.
No. IPD does not use the ALPR system to issue speeding, red-light, parking or expired-registration citations.
The system is used for public-safety and criminal-investigation purposes, such as locating stolen vehicles or identifying vehicles that may have been in an area when a crime occurred.
An ALPR alert is an investigative lead—not proof that a crime has occurred and not, by itself, sufficient reason to stop a vehicle.
Before taking enforcement action, an officer must visually confirm that the license plate matches the plate captured by the system and verify through Dispatch that the information remains current. If the information cannot be verified, the vehicle may not be stopped solely because of the ALPR alert unless separate reasonable suspicion or compelling circumstances exist.
Access is restricted to authorized law-enforcement personnel who have completed department-approved training and have individual login credentials.
Users may access the system only for official law-enforcement purposes. The department assigns and maintains user credentials and determines which personnel are approved to operate or search the system.
IPD has a written General Order governing the administration, operation, maintenance, retention and sharing of ALPR information. Personnel acknowledge department policies as part of their employment and receive training before they are authorized to use the system.
The policy states that misuse of the system or its data may result in disciplinary action. Suspected misuse may also be investigated through the department’s Internal Affairs process.
The system logs user activity, and audit records can be retrieved when needed. These records can help determine who accessed the system and review activity if misuse is suspected.
IPD does not currently conduct routine, scheduled reviews of those logs. A planned software upgrade is expected to add the ability to conduct random automated audit reviews. This FAQ should be updated when that process is implemented.
ALPR information may be shared with other law-enforcement agencies when needed for a legitimate law-enforcement investigation. For example, another police department may ask whether a vehicle connected with a homicide, abduction, stolen vehicle case or other investigation was detected in Independence.
The information is not sold or shared with private organizations for commercial use. Once information is lawfully shared with another law-enforcement agency, that agency manages it according to its own retention and information-security policies.
Under current IPD policy, fixed-camera ALPR information is generally retained for one year and then purged. Information connected with an active investigation, court proceeding or other legitimate evidentiary need may be tagged for preservation.
Locations are identified using crime data, investigative intelligence, traffic patterns and operational needs. Technical considerations—including available infrastructure, camera angles and visibility—may require a proposed camera to be moved to a nearby location.
A single intersection may have multiple cameras to capture vehicles traveling in different directions.
As of August 3, 2026, Independence has 60 ALPR cameras operating in the City of Independence.
Additional cameras are planned through a regional grant-funded project. Final installation numbers and locations may change based on technical feasibility and operational needs.
IPD’s safeguards include:
- Limiting access to trained, authorized personnel.
- Requiring an official law-enforcement purpose.
- Assigning individual user credentials.
- Logging system activity.
- Requiring officers to verify alerts before taking enforcement action.
- Restricting the sharing of information.
- Establishing retention and deletion requirements.
- Allowing discipline for improper access or use.
The City will continue reviewing its policies, system capabilities and practices as laws and court decisions involving location technology develop.