Lakewood Police squad car parked in front of the Lakewood Police Department.

License plate readers identify stolen vehicles in Lakewood

Dec. 8, 2023

To equip Lakewood police officers with additional tools to assist in the recovery of stolen vehicles, the Lakewood Police Department uses license plate reading technology around the city.

This summer the City of Lakewood contracted with Flock Safety to purchase and deploy the technology, including license plate readers at key locations across the city. The technology identifies stolen vehicles and alerts officers to the general area of the vehicle so they can respond and try to locate it. The system is also a valuable investigative tool that can assist with solving crimes that have already occurred.

Information collected does not compromise individual privacy. Part of the software includes a “transparency portal” which shows how the city uses the information, how long it is kept, what information is reviewed and how many “hotlist” (or stolen) vehicles are identified through the system.

The City of Lakewood transparency portal is now live and can be viewed here.