Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Purdue University Installs License Plate Reading Cameras

  • By Matt Jones
  • 06/02/22

The Purdue University Police Department in West Lafayette, Ind., recently announced that it is partnering with public safety technology company Flock Safety to install six automated license plate reading (ALPR) cameras around campus. A news release reports that the department has signed a one-year contract to test the Flock system, joining the Lafayette and West Lafayette police departments as law enforcement agencies deploying the technology.

“Incidents involving students being shot by Splat or BB or airsoft guns this past spring semester were difficult to investigate,” said PUPD Chief John Cox. “We often had video from our campuswide digital video system to give us basic vehicle information, but no license plate information could be obtained. The Flock system will allow us to search for vehicles based on a video and victim description and obtain a license plate number to use to continue the investigation.”

The Flock Safety ALPR cameras are designed to capture license plates and vehicle characteristics instead of people, according to the university news release. Plates associated with reported crimes—such as stolen vehicles or owners wanted on warrants as documented by state and national databases—trigger a real-time alert sent to officers. Vehicles associated with missing persons in AMBER or Silver Alerts also send notifications to law enforcement.

Purdue has also deployed an updated policy around the ALPR system’s usage. Data will not be sold or shared with third parties, and each vehicle search will require justification.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Abstract tech network data connections with orange, blue glowing dots, lines

    3 Trends for Higher Education to Stay Ahead of in 2026

    As universities enter the new year, the question is no longer whether digital transformation is necessary, but how quickly institutions can convert technological potential into strategic advantage.

  • Surging Demand for Student Housing Fuels Major Campus Investment Opportunities

    University leaders throughout the U.S. are accelerating plans to modernize and expand student housing as enrollment stabilizes and demand for on-campus living rebounds. Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that total postsecondary enrollment is projected to grow through the end of the decade, with undergraduate enrollment alone expected to increase by more than 8 percent by 2030.

  • 144-Year-Old High-School Campus Debuts New Academic Facility

    San Diego High School (SDHS) in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new student services and classroom building; the project is part of a larger SDHS Whole Site Modernization project that began in 2022.

  • From Approval to Opening: Inside Travis Unified School District’s Fast Tracked Campus Expansion

    The Travis Unified School District (TUSD) in northern California includes several elementary and high schools serving over 5,400 students. In 2024, the TUSD Board approved the addition of sixth grade to the Golden West Middle School campus for the 2025–26 school year, setting in motion an accelerated effort to bring new facilities online in less than a year.