Vigilant Solutions announced today that the Sacramento (Calif.) Police Department used its historical license plate reader (LPR) data, available exclusively to law enforcement through Vigilant's LEARN online analytic suite, to locate and apprehend a suspect in a homicide.
Sgt. Stigerts of Sacramento Police Department explains, "A homicide occurred in City of Sacramento on April 23rd of this year. A follow-up investigation conducted by detectives identified the shooter as well as a vehicle registered to him and to his mother which matched the description of the get-away vehicle. Investigators also determined that the suspect was believed to live with his mother in Sacramento and was attending a junior college in Rocklin. Detectives initially checked for the suspect vehicle in various locations in the immediate Sacramento area where the suspect was known to stay with negative results. Detectives checked the LEARN database for any information available on the target vehicle as well as to verify the unique appearance of the vehicle as relayed by witnesses.
"In this case, detectives were able to put the suspect plate number into LEARN and quickly realized that it appeared in Vigilant's private data multiple times in a specific apartment complex near the college where the suspect attended classes. They were also able to confirm the appearance of the suspect vehicle through recent LPR snapshots of the car. We were able to send Rocklin Police this information and have them determine if the suspect vehicle was on scene. We knew within a matter of a few phone calls that the target vehicle was indeed in the apartment complex in Rocklin, located in neighboring Placer County. Surveillance was quickly set up by Sacramento and Rocklin police officers on the location; and in the morning after the homicide, the unaware and unarmed suspect walked out of the apartment, was identified by police and safely detained without incident."
The Sergeant concludes, "The murder weapon was later located inside the apartment shortly thereafter and the situation was resolved without high cost or a lengthy standoff. Through simple coordination with the neighboring jurisdiction we were able to take a homicide suspect into custody within a few hours, rather than a few days, as is our typical course without private LPR data."
Tom Joyce, Vice President of Product Development for Vigilant, comments, "This is a great example of how LPR data can and should be used. Governed by a strong agency policy as well as federal law, the anonymous LPR data provided an investigative lead that brought a dangerous individual into custody. Having worked thousands of cases during my career at the New York City Police Department, I can't tell you enough how valuable this type of information can be in saving an immense amount of taxpayer funded resources – as well as potentially saving lives in the process by taking these dangerous individuals off the streets before they commit further crimes."
About Vigilant Solutions
Based in Livermore, Calif., Vigilant Solutions develops innovative intelligence solutions that help law enforcement protect officers, families, and communities. For additional information, visit www.vigilantsolutions.com.
