The University of Central Florida implemented a policy of using license plate readers(LPRs) to track students' vehicles in order to "support the UCF Police Department's efforts to prevents and solve crimes," said an email from UCFPD Chief Carl Metzger.
LPR cameras will be situated at just six entry and exit points of the campus, making data available through the state and federl databases in real-time. The database would allow to check for expired tags, suspended licenses, stolen vehicles and more, such as persons of interest, says a report.
In an email, Courney Gilmartin, public information officer with the UCFPD said, "With safety as our top priority, we regularly review possible enhancements to our campus security measures. License plate readers emerged as a cost-efficient, effective force multiplier that could aid in preventing and solving crimes."
The report says, the data collected by the cameras will be stored in UCFPD's cloud server, that holds data for one year. Despite concerns among the LPRs criminalizing students for small crimes, Gilmartin said the UCFPD is looking to prevent serious criminal activity.