MANTECA POLICE DEPARTMENT | AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS DUTY TO SERVE
AUTOMATED
LICENSE PLATE
READER TECHNOLOGY
Manteca Police Department
History • Policy • Privacy • Investigative Value
An investigative tool — not a
conclusion
1 MANTECA POLICE DEPARTMENT | AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS DUTY TO SERVE Manteca ALPR History
Two decades of evolving technology and expanded investigative capability 2005
First ALPR
JUL 2019
Pole-Mounted ALPRs
JUL 2024
Flock Deployment
JAN 2025
Verra Mobility
Addition
2005 → 2026
Car-mounted system
Alerts limited to DOJ Stolen
Vehicle System (SVS) entries
27 cameras
4 intersections
End of life: Sept. 1, 2026
49 fixed ALPR cameras
20 PTZ cameras
12 additional fixed Flock
ALPRs
Installed with red-light
camera system
**Verra Mobility has no
system access
2 MANTECA POLICE DEPARTMENT | AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS DUTY TO SERVE Lexipol Policy 460 — Operations
Authorized use, training, access and verification requirements Official business only
ALPR use is restricted to official law
enforcement purposes. Personal or
unauthorized use may result in discipline, up to
termination.
Patrol & investigations
May be used during routine patrol or criminal
investigations. Reasonable suspicion or
probable cause is not required before using
ALPR.
Major incident canvass
Canvass crime scenes and surrounding areas;
partial plates from major crimes may be entered
to help identify suspect vehicles.
Training required
Department-approved training is required before
operating ALPR equipment or accessing ALPR
data.
Authorized data access
Operators may not access department, state or
federal data unless otherwise authorized.
Verify before enforcement
When practicable, verify an ALPR response
through CLETS before enforcement action based
solely on an alert.
ALPR supports police work — policy controls how it is used. 3 MANTECA POLICE DEPARTMENT | AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS DUTY TO SERVE Policy 460.6 — Privacy & Official Use
Technology must be balanced with established privacy rights “
The Manteca Police Department utilizes ALPR
technology to capture and store digital license
plate data and images while recognizing the
established privacy rights of the public.
All data and images gathered by ALPR are for official
department use. Because the data may contain
confidential information, it is not open to public
review.
PRIVACY
+
PURPOSE
Official use • Controlled access •
Confidential data
4 “
MANTECA POLICE DEPARTMENT | AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS DUTY TO SERVE ALPR System Auditing
Technology must be balanced with established privacy rights ALPR system usage is audited monthly to ensure searches are being conducted appropriately and in compliance with Department policy. Users are required to identify a law enforcement purpose associated with their searches,
creating an auditable record of system activity.
The Department takes misuse of law enforcement
databases and investigative technology seriously. If an employee is found to have intentionally misused the ALPR system, the employee may be subject to disciplinary
action up to and including termination.
AUDITING
=
ACCOUNTABILITY
Official use • Controlled access
• Confidential data
4 MANTECA POLICE DEPARTMENT | AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS DUTY TO SERVE ALPR Rumors vs. Reality
What the technology does — and what it does not do
RUMOR
“The cameras use facial
recognition.”
Reality: Manteca’s ALPR and PTZ camera use does not
include facial recognition.
Technology identifies investigative leads. Officers make decisions. 5 “Flock cameras track people’s
cell phones.”
RUMOR
Reality: Flock ALPR cameras do not track cell
phones. The system captures vehicle and license
plate information from vehicles passing within the
camera's field of view.
RUMOR
“Flock continuously tracks a
person’s movements.”
Reality: The cameras capture vehicle information when a vehicle passes a camera location. Investigators may search available ALPR data when there is a legitimate law
enforcement purpose. The technology does not provide the Department with continuous GPS tracking of a vehicle.
MANTECA POLICE DEPARTMENT | AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS DUTY TO SERVE Law Enforcement ALPR Capabilities
The technology does not replace traditional police work Technology identifies investigative leads. Officers make decisions. 5 When used appropriately, ALPR technology can significantly reduce the amount of time required to identify vehicles associated with criminal activity. Rather than relying solely on an officer or witness to see and remember a vehicle, investigators can use vehicle descriptions, license plate information, and other investigative details to identify potential vehicles of interest.
The technology does not replace traditional police work. Instead, it gives investigators another tool to identify leads, narrow investigative possibilities, and help officers direct their resources more efficiently.
The technology may assist with investigations
involving:
Stolen and wanted vehicles;
Missing or endangered persons;
Amber Alerts and similar critical incidents;
Vehicles associated with violent crimes;
Burglary, robbery, theft, and property crimes;
Hit-and-run investigations;
Locating vehicles associated with wanted
persons; and
Developing investigative leads when only limited
vehicle information is initially available.
MANTECA POLICE DEPARTMENT | AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS DUTY TO SERVE Flock ALPR — What Officers See
Fixed cameras capture plates and vehicle characteristics that can be searched during investigations MAKE
COLOR
BODY TYPE
PLATE / NO PLATE
TIME + LOCATION
Searchable Attributes
Investigators can search known
descriptors even when a plate is
missing or unknown.
6 Example Flock ALPR alert — plate, vehicle image, time and location in one view MANTECA POLICE DEPARTMENT | AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS DUTY TO SERVE Flock Condor / PTZ Video
Live and recorded video adds visual context to an ALPR investigation Situational awareness
Investigative context
Officer decision-making
View activity around a location in real time
or review recorded footage.
Pair video with ALPR results to better
understand vehicle movement and
events.
Video is another information source — it
does not replace officer verification.
7 Condor / PTZ video example — upload the accompanying MP4 to this slide in Canva MANTECA POLICE DEPARTMENT | AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS DUTY TO SERVE Case Study — Jugging Investigation
From incomplete vehicle description to an identifiable suspect vehicle 1 Crime + video Security video captured the break-in and showed the suspect vehicle’s make, model and color — but no license plate.
2 Descriptor search Investigators searched Flock using the vehicle description and the time frame the vehicle was believed to be in Manteca.
3 Match located
Officers located a matching vehicle capture with a license plate attached. 4 Pattern identified The Bay Area-registered vehicle had multiple ALPR hits in Manteca on dates of previous jugging incidents.
Vehicle pattern → investigative lead
8 MANTECA POLICE DEPARTMENT | AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS DUTY TO SERVE Case Study — Jugging Investigation
ALPR alerts helped officers anticipate the suspect’s return and intervene ALPR
DATA
↓
PATTERN
↓
ALERT
↓ OFFICER ACTION
The technology supported the investigation;
trained personnel interpreted the information and
made the enforcement decisions.
9 5
6 7
8 9
Custom Hotlist
Hotlist Alert
Suspect Located
Suspect Contacted
Suspect Arrested
CSOs entered the vehicle into a custom hotlist to receive an alert when it returned to Manteca.
An alert indicated the suspect vehicle had entered town; officers located it using unmarked police vehicles.
The vehicle parked facing a bank and the suspect began
surveillance for a potential victim.
Officers contacted the suspect before another crime
occurred.
The suspect was ultimately arrested for current crimes and the earlier incident that began the investigation.
MANTECA POLICE DEPARTMENT | AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS DUTY TO SERVE ALPR: A TOOL FOR
SMARTER INVESTIGATIONS
Purpose-bound use.
Officer verification.
Privacy-conscious policy.
Actionable investigative leads.
QUESTIONS?
Manteca Police Department
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