FCPD’s Use of LPR Helps Locate 3 Missing People in One Day

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Fairfax County, VA –FCPD continues to see remarkable success with its use of License Plate Reader (LPR) technology in locating missing people. These recoveries also highlight the critical role of the Real Time Crime Center, which provided vital support in coordinating swift patrol responses.

On Sunday, June 15, LPR systems played a pivotal role in locating three missing people in separate incidents across Fairfax County and Montgomery County.

At approximately 1:46 p.m., an LPR alert was triggered in the Fair Oaks District when a vehicle associated with a missing juvenile was detected. Officers responded promptly, locating the vehicle at a nearby shopping center. The juvenile, who had been reported missing earlier, was found safe inside the vehicle and reunited with family.

At 2:27 p.m., another LPR alert occurred in the Fair Oaks District for a vehicle linked to a critically missing elderly adult. The Real Time Crime Center assisted in updating the vehicle’s location for responding officers. The missing person was found safe by patrol officers and reunited with family.

Later that afternoon, FCPD initiated efforts, to include the use of LPR technology, to locate a critically missing man. With the assistance of the Montgomery County Police Department and LPR technology, officers found the man in Montgomery County and he was safely reunited with his family.

These successful outcomes highlight just one of the many ways LPR technology is enhancing public safety and supporting our mission to protect the community.

Key Benefits of LPR Technology:

  1. Crime Prevention: LPRs have significantly enhanced investigative efforts and solved hundreds of complex cases over the past two years, including malicious woundings, attempted rapes, burglaries, and other offenses. FCPD has also utilized LPR technology in our fight against organized retail crime.
  2. Recovery Efforts: The use of LPR technology has resulted in an incredible number of stolen vehicles being successfully located and returned to their rightful owners. In the past two and a half years, FCPD’s officers and detectives have also utilized LPR technology to recover 49 firearms and locate 36 critical missing people in Fairfax County.

  3. Community Engagement: LPR technology has allowed our officers to be more proactive in their work by efficiently solving crimes and engaging with residents, thereby fostering more trust and cooperation within the community.

FCPD remains dedicated to the responsible use of technology. The Department maintains strict policies ensuring the technology is never used for immigration enforcement or minor vehicle violations.

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