Securing Campuses: PlateSmart ALPR Solution for Educational Institutions

Advanced ALPR technology creates a comprehensive campus security ecosystem for educational institutions, balancing open academic environments with enhanced safety through vehicle monitoring, access control, and real-time threat detection.

An arial view of a college campus used to illustrate the improvement of campus security with ALPR

(Note: this is a stock image used for illustrative purposes only)

Unique Aspects of the Educational Campus Security Landscape

Educational campuses—whether universities, colleges, or large school districts—represent unique security environments where accessibility must coexist with safety. These academic communities function as self-contained ecosystems where thousands of students, faculty, staff, and visitors interact daily across sprawling grounds with multiple entry points and complex layouts.

The security of these environments is essential to fostering a positive academic atmosphere. The concern for keeping students safe from crime, especially violent incidents such as sexual assault, is so important that many institutions employ their own police forces, while others collaborate with local law enforcement. Despite these measures, even the most dedicated security teams cannot maintain visibility across all areas simultaneously, creating a need for technological augmentation of human resources.

According to the US Department of education, there were 41,801 crimes reported on campuses across the United States in the year 2023.

Campus Security Gaps and Pain Points

Educational institutions face distinctive security challenges that stem from their open nature and diverse populations. The movement of vehicles plays a central role in these challenges, as most campus communities rely heavily on cars for daily transportation.

Security teams typically encounter several persistent issues:

Coverage Limitations: Campus security personnel cannot monitor all areas of expansive grounds simultaneously, creating blind spots that can be exploited

Parking Management: Unauthorized vehicles often occupy reserved spaces, creating frustration and reducing efficiency

Visitor Tracking: Campus visitors may overstay their authorized periods or access restricted areas

Event Security: Large gatherings such as sporting events, concerts, and graduations create significant security vulnerabilities due to high traffic volume

Incident Documentation: When security incidents occur, gathering sufficient evidence for investigations is often difficult without automated systems

Resource Allocation: Determining optimal deployment of security personnel without data-driven insights leads to inefficient coverage

Additionally, many campuses struggle with property crimes in unmonitored areas, creating a perception of insecurity that can negatively impact the academic environment. The sheer volume of vehicular traffic generated by students, faculty, staff and visitors creates both challenges and opportunities for security enhancement.

A college campus with students walking around

(Note: this is a stock image used for illustrative purposes only)

Critical Requirements for Enhanced Security and Operations

Based on these challenges, educational institutions typically require several key capabilities to ensure effective campus security:

Real-time monitoring capabilities at a central command center

Ability to verify vehicles against authorization databases

Collection and preservation of forensic evidence for incidents occurring on campus

Comprehensive search and reporting functionality

Tools for traffic planning and management during large events

Alert systems for vehicles of interest

These requirements reflect the institution's need to balance security with the open, welcoming atmosphere essential to education. Security solutions must be effective without creating a fortress-like environment that detracts from the academic experience.

An arial view of a chaotic campus parking lot after an event

(Note: this is a stock image used for illustrative purposes only)

Campus parking lots can be very chaotic after large events!

PlateSmart's Integrated Campus Security Approach

PlateSmart offers a comprehensive suite of ALPR solutions for educational institutions. Each product addresses specific security needs while working together as an integrated system. The optimal deployment strategy integrates all four PlateSmart solutions.

PlateSmart ARES 3.0 provides fixed-location ALPR coverage and also serves as the platform for PlateSmart’s other products. This enterprise-grade solution is strategically deployed at:

Campus perimeters to create a digital security boundary

Entry and exit gates to monitor all vehicles accessing the property

Parking lots and structures to manage authorized access

Sensitive facilities requiring enhanced security protocols

High-traffic routes and junctions to monitor vehicle movement patterns

PlateSmart Mobile Defender in an in-car ALPR solution that transforms campus patrol vehicles into mobile crime-fighting units. This is particularly valuable for large campuses where fixed ALPR alone does not provide adequate coverage. This solution:

Equips security vehicles with mobile ALPR capabilities

Provides continuous vehicle data capture while patrolling and even while parked by the roadside for observation

Provides immediate alerts when vehicles of interest are detected

Extends ALPR coverage to areas without fixed cameras

Creates a flexible security presence that can respond to changing needs

PlateSmart Vision enhances ALPR capabilities with instant access to related video footage at the click of a button. Implemented at strategically important locations, this solution:

Provides contextual video evidence of vehicle movements

Enables security personnel to review incidents with complete visual information

Streamlines investigations by linking plate captures to video sequences

Creates a more comprehensive record for documentation purposes

Helps security teams understand the situation better before even reaching the location

PlateSmart Guardian automates entry and exit gates with the power of license plate recognition. This solution:

Eliminates the need for physical access cards or RFID tags

Streamlines access to staff and student parking areas

Reduces traffic congestion at entry points

Creates a record of all vehicles entering restricted areas

Integrates with existing campus authorization databases

Together, these four solutions create a comprehensive security ecosystem that addresses the fundamental role vehicles play in campus life and security incidents. Nearly all campus visitors arrive by vehicle, and most security incidents involve vehicles at some stage—whether bringing perpetrators to campus, transporting stolen items away, or serving as targets for theft themselves.

Measurable Outcomes for Campus Stakeholders

The implementation of PlateSmart's integrated ALPR solutions delivers substantial benefits across multiple aspects of campus operations. These advantages extend to all campus stakeholders:

For administration and management:

Reduction in unauthorized parking incidents

Enhanced ability to manage traffic during large events

Comprehensive documentation for law enforcement collaboration

Data-driven insights for future campus planning and security investments

For campus security personnel:

Immediate alerting when vehicles of interest enter campus

Faster response times to security incidents with mobile capabilities

Enhanced surveillance coverage without additional personnel

Improved investigations with detailed vehicle records and video evidence

More efficient officer deployment based on comprehensive data

For the campus community:

Improved parking availability in designated areas

Enhanced sense of safety, particularly in previously vulnerable areas

Reduced traffic congestion at entry points

Faster recovery of stolen property through comprehensive documentation

Preservation of open campus feel despite enhanced security

The integrated technology ecosystem serves as a force multiplier for security teams, allowing them to monitor more areas with existing personnel resources. The system transforms reactive security approaches into proactive threat management, potentially preventing incidents before they escalate.

Conclusion: Balancing Security and Openness with PlateSmart

Educational institutions must maintain secure environments while preserving academic openness. PlateSmart's suite of ALPR solutions offers a balanced approach that enhances security without creating an oppressive atmosphere.

PlateSmart ARES provides comprehensive fixed location monitoring, while PlateSmart Mobile Defender extends coverage through mobile units. PlateSmart Vision adds critical video context to license plate captures, and PlateSmart Guardian automates access control. All 4 solutions work together to create a seamless security ecosystem.

By recognizing the central role vehicles play in campus life and security incidents, these solutions address many common challenges faced by educational institutions. The ability to monitor vehicle movement, identify potential threats, and document incidents creates a more secure environment for everyone on campus.