After decades of working in law enforcement and a lifetime of community engagement and empowerment, I’ve seen firsthand what works to keep our communities safe and secure. A key aspect of building a community safety plan that works is making sure our officers have the tools necessary to respond when the call comes.
As technology continues to develop at a rapid pace, criminal behavior becomes more advanced and more complicated — it is critical our officers are equipped with tools that can combat this crime. License plate recognition (LPR) technology is one of these tools. It has a proven track record in real-time identification, which helps our officers solve crimes faster and protect our communities more effectively.
The real-time alerts from LPR cameras allow us access to critical, time-sensitive data, helping to recover stolen vehicles within hours, track suspects fleeing violent crimes, and generate leads on human trafficking and kidnapping cases far faster than what is achievable with manpower alone. The success isn’t theoretical; it’s been proven in more than 5,000 communities nationwide.
Despite these key points, misinformation around privacy concerns and officer misuse continues to undermine the very tools we need to combat crime. These concerns, while important, have been discouraging to see. Modern criminals don’t operate in neat boxes. Their actions span multiple jurisdictions and are constantly evolving, making it harder for traditional policing methods to keep up. Choosing to reject a proven tool like LPR cameras threatens our ability to respond quickly and means accepting that some crimes will go unsolved.
While there are legitimate conversations to be had about privacy and accountability when using this tool, these concerns should not be used as a reason to abandon the tool altogether. The answer is not to eliminate the technology, but to ensure it is implemented responsibly with clear safeguards, local oversight, and adequate transparency.
Too much of the debate on this topic is driven by hypothetical fears rather than real-world implications. While we continue to argue about what could happen, our officers are out responding to what is actually happening on the streets. The responsibility for public safety is not theoretical; it’s our sworn responsibility. Our community deserves to have every tool available to keep them safe.
Dixon is a retired police chief and former president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE).
