Melrose Action Anti-Crime Initiative

ALPR Cameras

License Plate Recognition (LPR) Technology is Keeping Us Safer

OUR FIGHT AGAINST CRIME

It was the summer of 2021 and violent crimes were suddenly occurring in the Melrose District at a very alarming rate.

Because crime became so concerning Melrose Action formed a non-profit to #dosomething about it. Our tent pole anti-crime initiative involved building a network of sophisticated license plate reading cameras strategically placed where crime was the most challenging. We bet these ALPR cameras would provide police with a more immediate remedy to help us make our area safer and thankfully we were spot on. In fact months after we launched our first phase of cameras, the city of Beverly Hills enlisted the very same cameras we have around our area today. In 2023 the city of West Hollywood also added their own cameras to make their city safer.

Melrose Action’s ALPR (Automated License Plate Recognition) camera network has been incredibly successful. Our ground breaking, grass roots “safety for all” anti-crime plan have made our business district and surrounding neighborhood safer today. But we need to do more.

From former LAPD Chief Michel Moore to our current commanders at our LAPD Wilshire Station – they cannot thank the community enough for providing a critical tool (these ALPR cameras) to help them keep community members and visitors alike safer. Countless law enforcement officials have told us that we, collectively, made the right choice in furthering efforts to fight the dangers and changing dynamics of crime. We needed to do something smarter and we have.

We need your support to keep and enhance this valued safety measure up and running in our area.

While crime won’t go down to zero, together we can all make a huge difference in our collective “safety for all” mission. Here’s some key features of our endeavor.

  • Our Cameras Have Added A Critical Public Safety Asset To The Community And The City

  • A Totally Autonomous Fully Automated Intelligent Technology Driven Service

  • Offers Exclusive Proven Real-Time Advantages To Solve Crime

  • Extremely Cost-Effective And Very High ROI

Recently featured story on NBC4 LA:

Extreme Sports Bike

Our Program Is Up For Renewal

We need your support to continue this unprecedented community effort. And it’s working.

Why Do We Need These Cameras?

Supporters like you can help fund sufficient numbers of ALPR cameras in the Melrose District and adjacent areas to keep crime down and our streets safer.

Since first deployed the results we’ve seen so far say our cameras have been instrumental in bringing down violent crime by double digits.

Former L.A.P.D. Chief Michel Moore  — a guest at our monthly crime control meetings publicly acknowledged his officers and detectives rely on our cameras to help police solve crimes.

Our community partnership with the LAPD is the key to reducing crime.

VISIT OUR FAQs FOR MOREVISIT OUR FAQs FOR MORE

Proven Effective. These Cameras Work.

License Plate Recognition cameras are strategically placed around our area to help keep our community safe for all.  If a crime is committed, law enforcement can quickly access and review potential evidence to help locate and possibly arrest an offender.  These devices are 100% autonomous, use 5G OTA connectivity, are solar powered, and operate 24/7 never leaving their post.  Statistics have shown without a doubt that, when used in partnership with law enforcement, this technology is highly effective in providing immediate and actionable information to help. solve. crime. 

This technology is vital to our mission of crime prevention.

We Need Your Help!

The City of Los Angeles is limited in resources and hindered by bureaucracy.  It is up to us — both residents and business owners, to share responsibility and take action to keep our community and city safer. The more money we raise through donors like you, the more locations we can afford, and the safer we all are.  We ask local businesses as well as residents to contribute. These cameras are part of a larger network that assists in catching suspects from other jurisdictions.

Additionally, if you are interested in hosting a camera on your property please reach out to us: contact-us@melroseaction.com.

Donate Today

Your tax-deductible donation goes a long way to help install our public safety cameras in and around our Melrose Arts District neighborhood. So far we’ve helped drive down violent crime over 60% year over year*. Let’s keep the downward trend and make this part of Los Angeles a safer space for all.

FAQs

Each LPR is 2500.00/year. This fee covers the initial installation, data management and maintenance of the devices.

License Plate Readers are a lot different from regular consumer cameras. ALPRs are specifically optimized to read license plates and only license plates. ALPRs have an intentionally short shutter speed allowing the devices to wake up and start recording data in a fraction of a second to capture multiple frames of a car traveling up to 75 MPH. A doorbell camera is optimized for limited distance consumer-level home security. The ALPR camera settings are professionally optimized for low light, and the shutter speed is too slow to capture non-reflective objects moving slowly (i.e. pedestrians). ALPRs are designed to capture reflective objects moving quickly (i.e. cars & license plates).

The cost of these devices also includes continual maintenance as they will run autonomously 24/7. In addition, the cost covers all the data management. In case of a serious crime there is no scramble to download footage from individual cameras, worry about weak wi-fi signals, whether someones cameras are even plugged in and operational, or unimaginable delays in immediately locating available homeowners. The data is stored on a central server and when a crime is committed, the data can be quickly accessed directly by the LAPD and other law enforcement agencies. The media is stored for 30 days and then deleted. Melrose Action or it’s representatives do not access stored data unless as a very last resort or check on operational issues. We many assist in cases where time is critical to helping apprehend serious criminals like in instances of homicides, shootings, felony robberies, assaults, hate crimes, and burglaries. This purpose of this network is meant for being a potential source of actionable information after a crime has been committed.

When a crime is captured on a RING doorbell video or home security camera it takes a fair amount of time and manpower to gather that footage and get it to the LAPD if at all. Additionally, even if home security cameras show a clear picture of the criminal’s face, it gives the LAPD no immediate actionable leads on where to find that person. Since “doorbell camera’s” are already so pervasive, law enforcement agencies receives millions of “faces” shared with them daily. One way the LAPD for example might locate a criminal is by running the license plate number of a vehicle(s) connected to the crime that might be from a lead of a potential witness.

Plus, new ALPR devices allow law enforcement to filter their search based on the vehicle’s specific characteristics, including body type, make, color, and more. Vehicles contain more forensic information than realized. This is key in producing a quicker investigative lead for law enforcement when a suspect vehicle has no visible plates or fake ones.

No. There’s no ‘immediate way” to just hire more police. Also important ALPR’s actually might mitigate the need for unnecessary interactions between the public and law enforcement by providing more actionable leads in the direction that counts to catch a dangerous suspect. Right now, ALPRs are by far the best, most cost-effective solution. These devices run 24/7 and can blanket an area, giving detectives actionable data to work with.

They are 100% solar!

Law enforcement will work in partnership with Melrose Action to strategically place the devices in locations that will yield the best results based on the most current, most concerning crime trends available and nothing else. The LAPD has first-hand knowledge of our neighborhood, local crime statistics and traffic patterns that criminals routinely use to commit their crimes. This help’s plan where the ALPRs will be be placed. The more devices we can afford, the more effective the system will be. Hence, the funding raising.

The data will be accessible to the LAPD, not to private citizens. When a crime is committed, the LAPD will be able to quickly retrieve the data. Melrose Action is not involved in law enforcement strategies in any capacity. Melrose Action is a public safety advocacy organization whose only goal is safer streets for all. If you have been a victim of a crime, Melrose Action will NOT release any data to private parties. Your MUST file a police report and notify our local law enforcement agency such as the Los Angeles Police Department or the Los Angeles County Sheriff depending on where you live. We DO NOT share data except to law enforcement officials.

Every city in America has a huge number of security cameras in public spaces recording 24/7 as well as in offices, on streets and surrounding private homes. If you don’t want a camera recording your image, the only sure way to achieve that is to stay inside your home. In addition, these ALPRs do not contain facial recognition software and the media is deleted after 30 days. License plate readers scan your plates everywhere from the local West Hollywood Target Store to entering The Grove, Westfield Century City just to name a few.

No. The ALPRs are mounted on tall posts so they are not be easy to vandalize. Replacement cameras are covered by the upfront cost. If a device is vandalized more than once, the LAPD, and Melrose Action will reevaluate the placement. We have not experienced any vandalism to any of the cameras currently in our community.

Yes and no. Security experts advise us that we are best protected if the ALPRs are mounted in locations carefully chosen by law enforcement based on crime statistics and experience. Each device can be moved to a new location if crime trends change. If you would like to sponsor an ALPR in a specific location, please contact Melrose Action so that we can determine if your location could be suitable to make meaningful change in crime trends.

The cost, the inefficiency and the generally horrible track record many of these companies have. Bottom line, one car with one guard cannot be in two places at one time. The frequency of crime here prove that to be very true. Our cameras are sentinels that are “on guard” autonomously 24/7 and do not move or “leave their posts”. Another solid reason why this system makes the most sense for our situation. And, remember law enforcement has almost immediate access to get started on tracking down dangerous suspects without any intermediaries. To be clear Melrose Action nor is our ALPR initiative a substitute for the police ever. We offer a very reliable operational tool that is stationed full time on some of our streets. The cost of dozens of cameras in our system vs the cost of ONE PATROL CAR is unequaled and unparalleled.

This is newer technology that cities are just beginning to implement on a broader scale. The reality is that if we wait for the city to maybe allocate funds and approve new tech, our neighborhood will only continue to deteriorate. So, Melrose Action, as a Non-Profit 501c3 is taking the initiative to bring the community together through equity to continue this effort we began in 2021 with our first Go Fund Me. We feel like most of you that our neighborhood is in real trouble and waiting for the city itself to fix the problem is not a viable, more imminent reactive solution.

No “special interests here”. Not one dime or dollar. We are all 100% volunteers dedicated to making our community safer for everyone. That includes the entire city of Los Angeles.

We had success in our first round of funding and have a limited number of cameras already installed in the hardest hit areas that involved the most serious of crimes including murder, countless armed robberies, assaults, and shootings. It’s for those reasons we need expand the area more to continue to see a downward trend of crime and to maintain the momentum. This is a crowd-funded endeavor. Equity is the healthiest path to solution oriented goals. The faster we reach our goal, the sooner we can implement our next phase to stop crime over a broader area we cover. To see our boundaries, please visit www.melroseaction.org/map

Please donate here and ask your friends and neighbors to do the same. These are working! Spread the word! If you don’t want to use GO FUND ME, we also accept donations via Paypal, Venmo, Apple Pay, and personal check. Your donations are tax deductible as Melrose Action is a registered 501C3 non-profit with both the state of California and the IRS. Look up our status, as you should any time you donate to a charity of your choice. We hope Melrose Action is one of your choices.

You can also help our effort adding your own equipment to your home or business and just purchase it through our Amazon Affiliate store (www.melroseaction/store) We will get a tiny commission if you use this method to buy the safety items you need and we will re-invest those funds into more protective measures like the ALPR initiative.