Seniors and their families deserve a secure living environment. Flock’s license plate reader cameras are a security solution that helps communities lower crime rates and keep seniors and others safe.

Flock cameras help prevent crime in thousands of communities across the country. While many security solutions can bolster neighborhood safety, LPR cameras provide a key piece of evidence missing.

But license plate reader cameras serve a broader purpose beyond reducing crime. LPR cameras provide a more holistic approach to protecting communities.

When vulnerable seniors go missing, Flock Safety can help law enforcement search for the missing person's vehicle details and license plate number in their network of Flock cameras. With or without a license plate, Flock’s state-of-the-art Vehicle Fingerprint™ technology captures identifying vehicle details like make, model, color, unique alterations, and bumper stickers. 

Flock cameras can specifically be used to help protect seniors or individuals with memory conditions.

The fact is that 6 out of 10 people with a memory condition will wander at some point, putting them at an increased risk of harm. According to Alzheimer’s Association, over 6 million Americans live with these conditions. Investing in LPR cameras and other resources can be critical to keeping them safe.

What Is a Silver Alert?

Silver Alert is part of the AMBER Alert system states use to identify and find missing individuals, geared toward vulnerable seniors and other at-risk individuals who’ve wandered and can’t be found.

A total of 42 states, New York City, and the District of Columbia have a Silver Alert system or similar program in place to help locate missing seniors. There have also been federal efforts to encourage the integration of Silver Alert programs in every state across the country.

States may send out a Silver Alert through several different channels. For instance, Wisconsin officials use television and radio, digital billboards, lottery display terminals, and highway digital messaging signs to get the word out.

According to the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation reports, Silver Alerts have been widely successful in helping return cognitively-impaired adults to their families. It’s clear that communities can better protect seniors and other residents when they invest in the right solutions.

Flock cameras provide an “extra set of eyes” to track high rates of traffic in a given area and potentially identify a license plate or vehicle details associated with a missing senior or at-risk individual. This allows authorities to find and safely recover these individuals and get them home to their families.

In fact, Flock license plate reader cameras have already helped communities across the U.S. locate missing seniors and protect them from harm.

Flock License Plate Reader Cameras Help Locate Truck of Missing Tennessee Man

“This incident showcases how license plate reader technology enhances the public safety capabilities of our department.” – Knoxville Police Chief Eve Thomas

Thanks to the use of Flock LPR cameras, Knoxville Police were able to find a local 85-year-old man suffering from dementia who’d gone missing. After issuing a Silver Alert, a Flock camera captured vehicle data of the man’s truck. This led to his recovery less than 12 hours after the alert was issued.

Luckily, the man was found unharmed since police could locate his vehicle so quickly.

“This incident showcases how license plate reader technology enhances the public safety capabilities of our department,” Chief Eve Thomas said. “By having this technology at our disposal, we were not only able to quickly and safely locate a missing and endangered resident, but we were able to do so as efficiently as possible.”

The City of Knoxville has 18 Flock cameras installed strategically to help law enforcement protect residents. According to city officials, Knoxville’s Flock cameras have assisted in the arrest of 120 people, seizure of over $1 million in stolen property, recovery of 97 vehicles, and removal of 14 additional firearms from the streets.

Wisconsin Police See Benefits of Flock Cameras for Missing Seniors

“It’s great because it’s extra eyes that are always present. We’re hoping in the future the city will see the benefit to this and maybe allow us to allocate some money from our budget to this.” -Captain Greg Czarnecki, Port Washington Police Department

When 91-year-old Herbert Schmiedel went missing, he left his home without telling his wife and without his phone. When police were informed, they issued a Silver Alert.

The Grafton Police Department entered the man’s license plate information into their Flock database. The Flock database flagged the vehicle in Port Washington less than 20 minutes after the Silver Alert went out to the public.

Once police sent out the alert and vehicle information, Schmiedel was quickly located.

 "An officer spotted him probably within about 20 seconds of us getting the alert and did a traffic stop on him, identified him as the person missing, and was able to bring him to the police department so the family could pick him up, and he was safe," Captain Czarnecki said. “It’s great because it’s extra eyes that are always present. We’re hoping in the future the city will see the benefit to this and maybe allow us to allocate some money from our budget to this.”

Port Washington currently has less than five Flock cameras. Czarnecki said the cameras were installed thanks to funding from local civic groups. He said Flock cameras are making a difference for smaller police departments like theirs.

Flock Protects Seniors Across State Lines

"We wanted to have additional eyes for the police department to give us a better understanding of what is happening in the community.” -Deputy Chief Michael Caprez, Akron Police Department

Police were able to use Flock cameras to locate a missing 73-year-old Illinois woman with dementia in a multi-state search. The woman was on her way home from a dog show in Pennsylvania when she became disoriented and lost, worrying her friends back home, who alerted the police.

Law enforcement used Flock License Plate Reader software to narrow in on the area where the missing woman might be. While initial attempts to find her were unsuccessful, more alerts helped officers locate her and her vehicle.

Eventually, they were able to find the woman in Akron, Ohio, and safely return her home.

The city of Akron recently began installing Flock license plate reader cameras in their community to help reduce crime.

“We wanted to have additional eyes for the police department to give us a better understanding of what is happening in the community,” Deputy Chief Caprez said.

Caprez said the goal is to install Flock cameras in each ward to keep residents safe and make police more effective and efficient at their jobs.

Interested in learning more about how Flock license plate reader cameras can lower crime rates and protect your community? We’re here to help. Book a demo with us today for more information.

Flock Safety is a public safety operating system that helps communities and law enforcement in 5000+ cities work together to eliminate crime, protect privacy, and mitigate bias. We build devices that capture objective evidence and use machine learning to create and deliver unbiased investigative leads to law enforcement. Flock Safety serves 5000 cities in 45+ states and is helping solve hundreds of crimes every day.