Automated License Plate Readers
Automated License Plate Readers (LPRs) are an investigative tool used by the Huntsville Police Department (HPD) to help locate criminal suspects, find missing people, recover stolen vehicles and generate investigative leads.
HPD has used LPR technology in Huntsville since 2020. Its use is governed by federal and state laws, regulations and HPD policies and procedures that establish who can access the systems, how information can be searched and how system activity is reviewed.
Alabama law requires law enforcement agencies using LPR technology to adopt and publish a written policy governing its use. Read HPD’s LPR written directive.
How LPRs Function
When a vehicle passes an LPR camera, the system attempts to capture an image and records information associated with that detection, including:
- License plate
- Date
- Time
- Camera location
HPD’s LPR systems cannot:
- Identify drivers or passengers
- Use facial recognition
- Record audio
- Continuously follow a vehicle in real time
Each camera records a vehicle only when it passes that location. Multiple detections may help investigators determine where a vehicle was observed at different times, but the system does not provide a continuous, real-time view of a vehicle’s movements.
Hot Plates
During an investigation, authorized personnel may enter a license plate into the LPR system as a “Hot Plate” when it is associated with a vehicle of interest. Examples include vehicles connected to kidnappings, homicide investigations, wanted fugitives, stolen vehicles, hit-and-runs or missing and endangered people.
When an LPR camera reads a plate on the active Hot Plate list:
- The system automatically compares the plate against the list.
- If there is a match, an alert is sent to authorized users logged into the system.
- The alert includes an image of the plate and information explaining why it was entered.
An LPR alert is an investigative lead, not automatic grounds for enforcement action. Before taking action, officers must verify the information through NCIC, local records or other appropriate sources.
LPR Technology Used by HPD
HPD uses two LPR technology platforms: Flock Safety and Vigilant, powered by Motorola Solutions.
HPD operates more than 200 LPR cameras throughout Huntsville. Of those, 29 use Flock Safety technology, while the remaining cameras use Vigilant technology.
The public can view information about HPD’s Flock Safety cameras through the Flock Safety Transparency Portal.
How HPD uses LPR information
LPR information can help investigators:
- Locate stolen vehicles
- Find missing people
- Identify vehicles connected to investigations
- Establish timelines
- Develop investigative leads
LPR information is reviewed alongside other evidence, including interviews, physical evidence, security camera footage and other records.
An LPR detection does not automatically mean a crime has occurred or that an arrest will be made. Investigators must verify and evaluate the information along with other evidence before determining its relevance to a case.
Who Can Access LPR Information?
Access to LPR information is limited to authorized personnel whose job duties require it. Personnel must complete system-specific training and annual security certification. They must also pass a background check, polygraph and drug screening.
LPR Access at HPD
Not all HPD employee have access to LPR information. Access is based on job responsibilities and the need to conduct authorized investigative work.
- 7% of HPD employees have access to Flock Safety LPRs.
- 19% of HPD employees have access to Vigilant LPRs.
How HPD Monitors LPR Use
HPD uses multiple levels of oversight to monitor LPR system activity and ensure compliance with department policies.
Search Records: LPR systems log each search, including the user, date, time, search details and stated purpose. These records create an audit trail that HPD can review.
Daily Reviews: The North Alabama Multi-Agency Crime Center (NAMACC) reviews LPR Hot Plate activity Monday through Friday.
Quarterly Audits: NAMACC leadership conducts quarterly audits for LPR system activity.
Additional Oversight:
- HPD’s Internal Affairs Division and Police Chief may conduct audits at any time.
- The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) conducts annual audits.
- The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) conducts audits or site visits every three years.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
No, it does not automatically result in an arrest. An LPR detection is an investigative lead.
No, an LPR detection shows that a vehicle was observed at a particular location and time. HPD Investigators must consider that information along with other evidence.
Alabama law allows LPR information to be retained for up to five years after collection. However, HPD retains LPR data for no more than one year, except when the information is needed for an ongoing investigation. Flock Safety LPR data is retained for 30 days.
Alabama law allows LPR information to be shared with other law-enforcement agencies for law-enforcement purposes.
HPD does not sell LPR information or make it available to private companies, organizations or individuals for non-law-enforcement purposes.
RECENT LPR-RELATED CASES
On Oct. 25, 2026, HPD officers responded to a report of a stolen vehicle in the 900 block of University Drive.
The vehicle had been left running outside a service station, and witnesses provided information about its direction of travel. Officers issued a lookout and entered the vehicle’s license plate information into HPD’s LPR system. While initial reports indicated different possible directions of travel, an ALPR detection showed the vehicle had recently been seen near Bob Wallace Avenue and Patton Road, providing officers with a specific area to search. Within 11 minutes of the initial call, officers located the stolen vehicle on Hillsboro Road. The driver refused to stop, leading to a brief pursuit before officers took the suspect into custody without further incident.
The case demonstrates how LPR technology can help officers narrow a search area, develop leads from recent vehicle detections and recover stolen property more efficiently.
On June 24, 2026, personnel with the North Alabama Multi-Agency Crime Center (NAMACC) assisted with efforts to locate an individual wanted on two felony warrants for first-degree sexual abuse.
An LPR detection indicated the suspect’s vehicle had recently been in Charleston, South Carolina, near an address associated with the suspect. After confirming the warrants remained active, NAMACC personnel contacted the Charleston Police Department and shared the information. Charleston officers investigated the lead and located the suspect, taking the individual into custody without incident the following morning.
By providing recent time-and-location information near an address associated with the wanted individual, LPR technology gave Charleston officers a specific lead to investigate. That information helped support coordination between NAMACC and the Charleston Police Department in locating and taking the suspect into custody.
On April 14, 2026, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) notified Huntsville Police that an individual in its custody had escaped from Huntsville Hospital.
Officers searched the surrounding area but were initially unable to locate the individual. Later that day, a stolen vehicle was reported and investigators developed information indicating the escapee may have taken it. LPR detections, traffic-camera information and location information provided by the vehicle’s owner gave officers several recent locations associated with the stolen vehicle, helping investigators narrow their search to the Patton Road area. When officers located the vehicle, two individuals fled. HPD and MCSO personnel coordinated a search of the surrounding area, ultimately locating the escapee and taking the individual into custody without further incident.
By providing recent time-and-location information associated with the stolen vehicle, LPR technology helped officers narrow the search area. Combined with information from other investigative sources, those leads supported the coordinated effort to locate the vehicle and recapture the escapee.