Eden Prairie Police using new tool to combat car theft crimes
Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) (Eden Prairie)
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (FOX 9) - A new tool capturing license plates has helped find eight stolen vehicles since December 2021, the Eden Prairie Police Department says.
The police department is using 13 portable Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) in areas of the city where vehicle theft is high. The devices have cameras inside that can take pictures of license plates in real-time and scan them through the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension's list of stolen vehicles. If it is a stolen vehicle, the ALPR alerts officers of the match, according to EPPD's Facebook post.
Using ALPRs, officers have made seven arrests in connection to the stolen vehicles.
All eight vehicles recovered from ALPR alerts were stolen from other cities, which police noted as a common occurrence.
"It is important to note that criminals who steal cars do not often stay in the jurisdiction where the crime occurred. They frequently use the stolen cars to go to other cities and commit crimes there," the department wrote.
Eden Prairie Police suggests to residents to help prevent vehicle thefts by doing the following:
- Make sure to lock all vehicles parked in driveways
- Remove garage door openers from vehicles parked in driveways
- Shut garage doors at all times, especially in the overnight hours