Genetec Adds New ALPR Features, Body Camera Integration to AutoVu Solution
Genetec’s AutoVu solution automates license plate reading and identification to assist law enforcement and municipal and commercial organizations locate vehicles of interest and enforce parking restrictions.
(Image: Genetec)
MONTRÉAL — Genetec announces it has added several new features to its AutoVu automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) solution.
The first is Plate Link, a new feature designed to allow vehicles to share license plate data while out on patrol. Genetec says this acts as a force multiplier for parking enforcement officers (PEOs), allowing them to administer shared permits and time-limited parking bylaws across multiple zones more efficiently.
AutoVu Plate Link allows two separate patrol vehicles to be assigned to a zone and work in unison, as if they were a single vehicle. Each license plate scanned by a vehicle is then automatically transferred to the next vehicle that enters the zone. By working together, the first patrol vehicle captures the license plate information initially, and should a violation occur, it will be detected by the second patrol vehicle making a subsequent pass, according to the company.
“In an effort to provide the best experience possible to their patrons, parking organizations have adapted their services to provide more flexibility. Shared permits have become a frequent and popular solution to encourage carpooling and accommodate households with multiple vehicles. This has placed a heavier burden on enforcement officers who must ensure compliance with parking rules,” says Charles Pitman, AutoVu product marketing manager at Genetec. “Our goal is to empower officers by making it easier for them to organize their routes and efficiently enforce those rules, without having to worry about the way their ALPR system works.”
Genetec AutoVu Plate Link diagram.
The second feature AutoVu will receive is the ability for parking enforcement organizations to view video evidence taken by a body-worn camera and automatically correlate it with the license plate data associated with an infraction or altercation.
AutoVu associates ALPR-equipped vehicles with specific body-worn cameras, and ties video clips to ALPR metadata such as plate reads, GPS coordinates and timestamps, according to the company.
When video evidence from body-worn cameras needs to be retrieved, users can then search based on plate number, time range or by using maps.
“Parking enforcement officers are frequently threatened and harassed during their day-to-day duties,” says Robert Amante, AutoVu product manager. “These altercations can lead to officer injuries, staff demoralization, and increased turnover. By equipping their officers with body-worn cameras — rather than more threatening tools such as batons or pepper spray — parking organizations can help protect their staff without escalating confrontations. Should an altercation occur, organizations now have access to both video and ALPR evidence for ensuing investigations.”
Support for body-worn cameras in parking enforcement will be available from Genetec AutoVu channel partners by August 2018.
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