By John Chigos, CEO, PlateSmart Technologies
License plate recognition (LPR) is one of the most important yet most undervalued tools for combatting terrorism.
LPR uses surveillance cameras to read license plates as vehicles pass the cameras.
When used by law enforcement, the vehicle data can be bounced against law enforcement databases to help authorities locate both criminal and terrorist suspects.
To see the value LPR can bring in the war on terror, we need look no further than the “lone wolf.”
Arguably the most insidious of terrorists, the lone wolf acts after having been inspired by larger terrorist organizations such as ISIS.
Identifying lone wolves is difficult, as they stay under the radar until attacking.
However, they take identifiable steps in planning an attack, and at each step, they expose themselves to detection[*].
One such step — site surveillance in choosing a target of interest and casing it — is where LPR can spot them.
That’s because surveillance using a motor vehicle is quite common[†], either by driving to the location and parking for an extended period or frequently driving around the site without stopping[‡], which is also called “circling behavior.”
I believe that when deployed at key access points to cities as well as at venues that terrorists might target, a fixed LPR solution coupled with other intelligence can be used effectively during the site surveillance phase to identify the lone wolf and prevent his/her attack.
Consider Omar Mateen, for example, who entered the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., on June 12, 2016, killing 50 and wounding 53 more[§].
Law enforcement agencies had intelligence on Mateen pointing to terrorist proclivities.
(Although Mateen was being watched by the FBI, he was still able to legally purchase firearms. Courtesy of CBS News and YouTube. Posted on Jun 13, 2016.)
They knew that he had been investigated for having terrorist leanings[**] and that he attended the same mosque as a radicalized American who committed a suicide bombing in Syria in May 2014[††].
Additionally, the late Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, former head of ISIS, called specifically for lone wolf attacks against the West during Ramadan in 2016[‡‡], which occurred in June of that year.
Armed with this intelligence, law enforcement could have used LPR to monitor Mateen’s travel and his appearance in locations where he would not reasonably be expected to be — a gay nightclub like Pulse, for example.
Mateen visited Pulse, which was 100 miles from where he lived, more than once[§§] — arguably unusual travel behavior.
Furthermore, because homosexuality is not generally accepted among Muslims[***] and is actually punishable by death according to the ISIS penal code[†††], law enforcement could have reasonably suspected he was casing the nightclub and investigated further.
(See a brief introduction and demonstration of PlateSmart ARES Automatic License Plate Recognition software solution demonstration. Courtesy of PlateSmart Technologies and YouTube.)
And it doesn’t have to stop with LPR.
It is my belief that integrating other potentially beneficial technologies, such as facial recognition and shot triangulation, will ultimately result in a new age in which terrorists find their efforts so undermined that they won’t even attempt an attack.
LPR technology is one of the few technologies available that can provide proactive intelligence that can prevent an attack from occurring rather than investigating after an attack has occurred.
To prevent the next attack, though, it must be deployed more broadly.
ISIS and its ilk have shown their willingness to use everything at their disposal to attack the West.
We must show similar resolve in employing our best technologies in thwarting them at every turn.
The time to pull together all our resources to combat the global terrorist threat is now.
About the Author
John Chigos is the founder and CEO of Oldsmar, Fla.-based Cyclops Technologies, Inc., d/b/a PlateSmart Technologies.
A successful entrepreneur and venture capitalist for many years, John founded Cyclops Technologies in 2004 to develop the world’s first software-only license plate recognition (LPR) solution.
His goal: to provide a robust, cost-effective solution that would keep law enforcement officers safer during traffic stops. That solution — PlateSmart ARES® — has been recognized with numerous industry awards.
Chigos is a frequent commentator on topics related to homeland security and the security industry. He has an MBA from the University of Hartford and a J.D. from Western New England University School of Law.
PlateSmart Technologies Wins Multi-Awards in 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards
PlateSmart Technology
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Best License Plate Recognition System
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Powered by PlateSmart
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Powered by PlateSmart is a new offering for security solution providers such as camera manufacturers, security software firms, etc., to integrate PlateSmart’s award-winning License Plate Recognition (LPR) technology into their own product offerings.
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Built upon AI and deep machine learning, Powered by PlateSmart lets solution providers extend the capabilities of their products to include reading license plates, their state jurisdiction, vehicle make and color. Orientation (front, rear or side) and type will soon be available.
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Powered by PlateSmart reads and delivers the vehicle data — including the plate image, if the customer desires — to the business solution via plugin.
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This allows the business solution to manage the data within its own environment for a seamless user experience.
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“Powered by PlateSmart isn’t about LPR anymore — it’s about vehicle recognition solutions,” explains John Chigos, PlateSmart CEO.
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“Our deep learning technology provides comprehensive vehicle data to solution providers. That means more actionable intelligence for users.”
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“It’s the easiest, most advanced, and most cost-effective way for users to adopt our advanced LPR technology”.
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PlateSmart Technologies have been recognized with Award Wins in Four Consecutive ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program.
How Powered by PlateSmart Works
PlateSmart ARES Enterprise ALPR also offers information beyond the plate number.
ARES reports state information and vehicle make, and new data-gathering abilities are constantly being added.
PlateSmart’s analytic capabilities also include detecting suspicious vehicle movement behavior, over-time parking, commercial vehicle vs. private vehicle identification, parking lot capacity, and more.
Who Can Benefit from Powered by PlateSmart?
The 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program surpassed expectations with a record number of nominations received from industry leaders and government agencies, and drew over 200 attendees to the ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Banquet – an exclusive gourmet luncheon and networking opportunity which filled to capacity, before having to turn away late registrants.
The event featured an impassioned and compelling keynote address by William J. Bratton, former police commissioner of the New York Police Department (NYPD) twice, the Boston Police Department (BPD), and former chief of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), as he walked attendees through 50 years of American policing history, the impacts on the communities, and the evolution of critical communication capabilities in our post 9/11 landscape.
Commissioner Bratton, one of the world’s most respected and trusted experts on risk and security issues and Executive Chairman of Teneo Risk a global advisory firm, was recognized as the ‘2019 ‘ASTORS’ Person of the Year’ for his Lifetime of Dedication and Extraordinary Leadership in Homeland Security and Public Safety.
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- AlertMedia, Ameristar Perimeter Security, Attivo Networks, Automatic Systems, Bellevue University, BriefCam, Canon U.S.A., CornellCookson, Drone Aviation, FLIR Systems, Hanwha Techwin, HID Global, IPVideo Corp., Konica Minolta Business Solutions, LenelS2, ManTech, Regroup Mass Notifications, SafeLogic, SolarWinds, Senstar, ShotSpotter, Smiths Detection, TCOM LP, Trackforce, Verint, and More!
Why American Security Today?
The traditional security marketplace has long been covered by a host of publications putting forward the old school basics to what is Today – a fast changing security landscape.
The traditional security marketplace has long been covered by a host of publications putting forward the old school basics to what is Today – a fast changing security landscape.
American Security Today is uniquely focused on the broader Homeland Security & Public Safety marketplace with over 75,000 readers at the Federal, State and local levels of government as well as firms allied to government.
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The AST Digital Publications is distributed to over 75,000 qualified government and homeland security professionals in federal, state and local levels.
‘PROTECTING OUR NATION, ONE CITY AT A TIME’
AST Reaches both Private & Public Experts, essential to meeting these new challenges.
Today’s new generation of public safety and security experts need real-time knowledge to deal with domestic and international terrorism, lone wolf attacks, unprecedented urban violence, shifts in society, culture and media bias – making it increasingly difficult for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Military and Private Security Professionals to implement coordinated security measures to ensure national security and improve public safety.
These experts are from Government at the federal, state and local level as well as from private firms allied to government.
AST provides a full plate of topics in our AST Monthly Magazine Editions, AST Website and AST Daily News Alerts, covering 23 Vital Sectors such as Access Control, Perimeter Protection, Video Surveillance/Analytics, Airport Security, Border Security, CBRNE Detection, Border Security, Ports, Cybersecurity, Networking Security, Encryption, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Campus Security, Security Services, Corporate Facilities, and Emergency Response among others.
AST has Expanded readership into integral Critical Infrastructure audiences such as Protection of Nuclear Facilities, Water Plants & Dams, Bridges & Tunnels, and other potential targets of terrorism.
Other areas of concern include Transportation Hubs, Public Assemblies, Government Facilities, Sporting & Concert Stadiums, our Nation’s Schools & Universities, and Commercial Business Destinations – all enticing targets due to the large number of persons and resources clustered together.
To learn more about the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Award Winners solutions, please go to the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Championship Edition Fully Interactive Magazine – the Best Products of 2019 ‘A Year in Review’.
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It also includes featured guest editorial pieces from some of the security industry’s most respected leaders, and recognized firms in the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program.
PlateSmart Technologies developed the original software-only license plate recognition (LPR) solution, PlateSmart ARES®, which is compatible with virtually all video management systems (VMS) and IP cameras.
Designed to function as a stand-alone tool or integrate with third-party software and hardware, PlateSmart ARES provides near-real-time actionable vehicle intelligence for complete situational awareness.
The software offers true object recognition instead of simple optical character recognition (OCR), which allows it to read the plate as well as the state jurisdiction and vehicle make.
PlateSmart has earned multiple industry awards for excellence in security technology.
For more information, visit www.platesmart.com.
To learn about advertising opportunities with American Security Today, please contact Michael Madsen, AST Publisher at mmadsen@americansecuritytoday.com.
[*] David Pounder, “Picking Target, Surveillance Begin the Hostile Events Attack Cycle,” Homeland Security Today, June 24, 2018, https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/terrorism-study/perspective-picking-target-surveillance-begins-the-hostile-events-attack-cycle/.
[†] Pounder.
[‡] “Characteristics of Terrorist’s Surveillance,” Los Angeles Police Department, accessed November 14, 2019, http://www.lapdonline.org/inside_the_lapd/content_basic_view/27436.
[§] Lizette Alvarez and Richard Pérez-Peña, “Orlando Gunman Attacks Gay Nightclub, Leaving 50 Dead,” The New York Times, June 12, 2016, sec. U.S., https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/13/us/orlando-nightclub-shooting.html.
[**] Alan Blinder, Jack Healy, and Richard A. Oppel Jr, “Omar Mateen: From Early Promise to F.B.I. Surveillance,” The New York Times, June 12, 2016, sec. U.S., https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/13/us/omar-mateen-early-signs-of-promise-then-abuse-and-suspected-terrorist-ties.html.
[††] Michael S. Schmidt and Mark Mazzetti, “Suicide Bomber From U.S. Came Home Before Attack,” The New York Times, July 30, 2014, sec. U.S., https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/31/us/suicide-bomber-from-us-came-home-before-attack.html.
[‡‡] Adam Withnall, “Isis Official Calls for ‘lone Wolf’ Attacks in US and Europe during Ramadan | The Independent,” The Independent, May 22, 2016, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-official-calls-for-lone-wolf-attacks-in-us-and-europe-during-ramadan-a7042296.html.
[§§] Gal Tziperman Lotan Stutzman Paul Brinkmann, Rene, “Witness: Omar Mateen Had Been at Orlando Gay Nightclub Many Times,” Orlando Sentinel, June 13, 2016, https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/pulse-orlando-nightclub-shooting/os-orlando-nightclub-omar-mateen-profile-20160613-story.html.
[***] Mustafa Akyol, “Opinion | What Does Islam Say About Being Gay?,” The New York Times, July 28, 2015, sec. Opinion, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/29/opinion/mustafa-akyol-what-does-islam-say-about-being-gay.html.
[†††] Heather Saul, “Isis Publishes Penal Code Listing Amputation, Crucifixion and Stoning as Punishments – and Vows to Vigilantly Enforce It | The Independent,” The Independent, January 22, 2015, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-publishes-penal-code-listing-amputation-crucifixion-and-stoning-as-punishments-and-vows-to-9994878.html.
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