Canadian developer of multi-sector operations and management platforms Genetec Inc. will demonstrate a new way for parking organizations to better protect their officers at next week’s International Parking Institute Conference and Expo (IPI 2018), which is taking place in Orlando, Florida, from June 3-6.
An industry first, Genetec’s Security Center AutoVu automated license plate recognition (ALPR) system now enables parking enforcement organizations to view video evidence taken by a body-worn camera and automatically correlate it with the license plate data associated with an infraction or altercation.
With the simple press of a button on a body-worn camera, an officer can trigger a video recording. The AutoVu platform associates ALPR-equipped vehicles with specific body-worn cameras, and ties video clips to ALPR metadata such as plate reads, GPS coordinates, and timestamps.
When video evidence from body-worn cameras needs to be retrieved, users can easily search based on plate number, time range or by using maps. Through this integration, parking enforcement organizations can deploy body-worn cameras as an addition to their existing Genetec ALPR system.
Previously, customers had to deploy a standalone solution to equip their officers with body-worn cameras, a process that was time-consuming and costly. AutoVu support for body-worn cameras in parking enforcement will be available from August.
At IPI, Genetec will also showcase AutoVu Flexreader, a new server-based offering that automatically reads license plates captured by suitable IP video cameras supported by the company’s Security Center unified platform. With AutoVu Flexreader parking authorities can increase the amount of vehicle data they are able to capture throughout their facilities.
IPI attendees will also be able to see the latest version of Genetec’s AutoVu Free-Flow off-street parking management system. Designed to help increase parking enforcement efficiency by providing a real-time occupancy of vehicles parked illegally in monitored parking lots, Free-Flow data can now be combined with traffic information.
This allows parking authorities to display travel times and occupancy side by side on a variety of digital messaging signs to help guide parkers more quickly to open spaces. Parking managers can now see their parking data more clearly using visual reports, helping them to identify patterns quickly and detect irregularities.
Building on the industry’s biggest ecosystem of parking partners, Genetec has added support for two new companies to further enhance access to its parking systems: netPark, a cloud-based point of sale and revenue management software service used to manage valet or self-park operations; and YourParkingSpace a web-based service that matches drivers to available privately and commercially owned car parking spaces.
“Parking enforcement officers are frequently threatened and harassed during their day-to-day duties,” explained Robert Amante, Genetec’s AutoVu product manager. “These altercations can lead to officer injuries, staff demoralization, and increased turnover.
“By equipping their officers with body-worn cameras, rather than more threatening tools such as batons or pepper spray, parking organizations can help protect their staff without escalating confrontations. Should an altercation occur, organizations now have access to both video and ALPR evidence for ensuing investigations.”
