EPD’s automated license plate reader system enables 43 arrests, 84 percent for felonies

Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) systems are not new technology; however, their implementation is relatively recent for the Eugene Police Department. It is important to review how the system has been used over the past few months. Since the cameras were installed, there have been 64 occurrences when ALPR technology was instrumental in assisting our officers with legitimate law enforcement investigations. These uses of the technology have resulted in 43 arrests, 84 percent of those being felony offenses. The arrests include suspects in homicides, arsons, stolen vehicles, rape, domestic violence, and cases of missing persons. Additionally, the system can be utilized to support Amber Alert investigations.

REPORT

The following is a report from May 2025 to September 1, 2025, detailing the use of ALPR in Eugene. "Success Results" are defined as successful use of the system, where the system contributed in a meaningful way with arrests, a recovery, evidence, or other substantial contribution. There have been 43 arrests from 35 individual cases. Of these arrests, 84 percent were for felony charges. There were also 19 recovered vehicles, seven cases involving weapons, 10 cases where property was recovered, and six cases resulting in drug charges. The most common results have been for stolen vehicle and other property crimes, where EPD is leveraging the technology to make the most of the police staffing to solve Eugene crime and apprehend people engaged in significant criminal behavior.

Arrests, stolen vehicles, and weapons show a total number of incidents, with some incidents having more than one of a category. The stolen property and drugs categories indicate if stolen property or drugs were seized, not a specific quantity or count. The 43 arrests stemmed from 35 individual cases. 84% of the arrests were for felony charges.

ALPR successes have come from a wide variety of cases. The most common successes were for stolen vehicle cases and non-stolen vehicle property crimes.

Success Case Types:

*11 of the outside agency assists were local law enforcement agencies in Lane County. The other three were for local law enforcement agencies elsewhere in the country (two fugitives and one stolen vehicle)

**The "Other" category included a non-criminal deceased subject case, a suspicious conditions call which turned out to be non-criminal, and a reckless driving case.

Success Case Severity

***The non-criminal severity category included a death investigation and a suspicious conditions case which turned out to be non-criminal in nature.

ALPR technology is designed to have cameras capture license plates and vehicle characteristics, not people or faces. ALPRs will provide real-time alerts to law enforcement when a license plate associated with certain types of crimes is detected. These crimes may include organized retail theft, stolen vehicles, or other serious crimes. The cameras may also assist in detecting vehicles associated with missing people, or an Amber alert.

Eugene Police has been providing details on ALPR use to give the community insight into the types of cases where the technology is used. The following are specific case examples from the past months:

• Embezzlement - First week in May: an ALPR in Ohio alerted on a vehicle associated with a female suspect with a nationwide warrant for embezzlement at Eugene Weekly and she was arrested. *Note: case not included the data, above, as the ALPR belonged to the Ohio agency.
• Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Menacing APA - June 6: an officer had probable cause to arrest a juvenile for Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Menacing APA. A few hours after entering the suspect's vehicle into the system, officers were alerted to its location and the suspect was arrested.
• Double Murder - May 20: After an adult male and a juvenile female were found murdered on May 20 near Oakridge, three people including two minors were arrested by LCSO after Eugene Police's recently installed license plate reader technology was used and flagged the suspect vehicle within minutes.
• Homicide - July 9 - used to help locate a homicide suspect in Eugene from a Wisconsin case
• Burglary Fugitive - On July 22, police arrested a suspect in a Fresno County, California burglary after reviewing and verifying the warrant and its purpose, then using the ALPR system to locate the vehicle associate with him. He was taken into custody as a Fugitive from Justice at Elmer's Restaurant on Valley River Way.
• Stolen Vehicle - On July 28, a Eugene man reported he discovered his Subara Forester had been stolen out of his apartment complex in the 1500 block of Hilyard Street. The vehicle was recovered with the help of a license plate reader and the driver was arrested. Case 25-12055
• Property Crimes and Weapons Offense - On August 4, a suspect in a burglary at a Eugene apartment, as well as awaiting sentencing for convictions in other property crimes and a weapon offense was arrested with the help of an ALPR. Case 25-12267
• Rape - On August 6, a man was arrested in the rape of a teen with the help of a license plate reader system. Case 25-10651
• Menacing, Felon with Firearm - On August 14, with the aid of a license plate reader, Eugene Police arrested a convicted felon who menaced another man with a firearm and rammed the victim's vehicle from behind. During a search of the vehicle, officers found several weapons, including a handgun and brass knuckles. Case 25-13186

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