License plate recognition (LPR) has been used by police departments and public safety organizations across the country for many years. However, it’s only recently that these technologies are becoming more commonplace in commercial settings.
While it would be inappropriate for businesses to have access to the same databases as police officers, the underlying technology can be used in many ways. Read on to find out about a few of the benefits of implementing a lpr system in a commercial setting.
Reduce Wait Times for Employees
With traditional parking lot access control systems, employees have to wait in line to swipe or scan their access cards at a gate. This process can take a good deal of time, particularly if the company doesn’t stagger shifts. Installing an LPR unit eliminates the need for these kinds of long waits by allowing authorized personnel to enter without having to stop and talk to a guard.
All it takes to automate vehicle access control is a list of authorized employees’ license plate numbers. These numbers can be input into the system’s software to create a list of cars that should be allowed to pass unimpeded. If an unauthorized vehicle attempts to enter the restricted area, the system will flag it and send an alert to the security team.
Allow Remote Interactions
Having a guard stationed at each gate of a large facility can dramatically increase the organization’s security costs. If instead, one guard can observe all of the cars passing through each gate from a centralized location and interact with the drivers remotely, the entire team will be able to allocate resources more effectively. Questions about a person’s authorization level or credentials can be answered and the guard can do just as thorough of a job of deciding who should be allowed onto the premises without having to vet each driver entering at every gate.
Reduce Parking Lot Liability Issues
LPR systems aren’t just good for automating access control, although that’s certainly their primary use among commercial customers. They can also be used to resolve disputes regarding any damage that occurs to cars while they are in the parking lot. All it takes to pull up footage of the vehicle as it entered and left the lot is knowing its associated license plate number. From there, it’s easy to identify damage that occurred while the vehicle was on the premises vs issues that were present when it came through the gate.
Collect Evidence
Liability claims aren’t the only circumstances under which having a license plate reader system in place can provide valuable evidence. If a crime is committed on the premises, the security team will also have access to essential footage that can be used as evidence. The photographic or video footage can help local authorities catch perpetrators and prosecutors build effective cases.
LPR Systems Are Worth the Investment
Today’s more advanced LPR systems may not be cheap, but they provide an excellent return on investment. Campuses that have LPR systems can maintain a smaller security force, face fewer false parking lot liability claims, and have easier access to information about who is coming and going, and when. In other words, LPR systems are well worth the investment.