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Automatic License Plate Readers
The Greenwood Village Police Department utilizes automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras in strategic locations throughout our city with the goal to solve and reduce crime in the City. The cameras are built by Rekor Systems, a public safety technology company that helps neighborhoods, communities, and law enforcement work together to fight crime. These cameras help law enforcement investigate crime by providing objective evidence. They capture license plates and vehicle characteristics that help officers in their investigative efforts.
To proactively prevent crime from occurring in Greenwood Village, the cameras send a real-time alert directly to our Dispatch and officers when a stolen car or known wanted suspect from a state or national crime database enters our jurisdiction. They can also send alerts if a vehicle associated with a missing person in an Amber or Silver Alert is detected.
In 2020, City Council approved implementing two ALPRs. These devices proved to be valuable in helping to solve crimes throughout the City, including stolen vehicle recoveries, burglary, thefts, robbery, motor vehicle thefts, drugs and weapons violations. Following a City Council discussion at the July 17, 2023, Study Session, the City will install 14 additional ALPRs.
ALPR Policy: Usage and Retention
The Greenwood Village Police Department maintains an updated policy around usage of the ALPR system. Per GVPD policy, the devices are placed in areas with high rates of crime and/or areas that have been identified as zones of travel for vehicles associated with crime. Access and use of scanned data is for law enforcement purposes only. Police staff and/or officers utilizing the data need a justifiable reason to view and use the information to further an investigation.
All license plate recognition data and images are retained for 21 days, per Police Department policy. Data that contains information pertinent to a specific law enforcement investigation will be retained for the life of the related case file or otherwise deemed by a court of law. Following the 21-day period, if the data does not contain information that has been identified as pertinent to a law enforcement investigation or an ongoing case, it is discarded. These policies are consistent with the state’s recommended municipal records retention schedule and meet standards as outlined by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP), the department’s accrediting agency.