AST Digital Magazine July 2017 Digital-July | Page 60

Volume 14
July 2017 Edition
PlateSmart, Raises
Bar for ALPR & Offi-
cer Safety with ARES
Viewer
ARES Viewer, an intuitive, easy-to-use application that dra-
matically improves officer safety and efficiency
ARES Viewer, an intuitive, easy-to-use ap-
plication that dramatically improves officer
safety and efficiency – has been nominated
to compete in the 2017 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland
Security Awards Program.
Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR)
has been one of the most sought-after technolo-
gies by law enforcement and security agencies,
since its inception.
Useful to a point, this type of ALPR deployment
has several significant drawbacks. It is very lim-
ited in the number of license plates it can actually
capture, since its effectiveness is dependent on
the location of the vehicle or vehicles on which it
is mounted.
These vehicles cannot be active on a 24/7 basis;
many are on the streets for as few as four shifts
per week.
The technology’s unique ability to automatically
read license plates and compare them to crimi-
nal databases in search of active wants and war-
rants has given these agencies a unique edge in
preserving public safety and security.
Traditionally, ALPR has been conceived and
implemented as a mobile system, consisting
of multiple infrared (IR)-dependent cameras
mounted on a patrol vehicle and connected to a
laptop computer.
ARES Viewer
Most police departments have a relatively small
60