30 Bombs Intercepted:

How PlateSmart ALPR Helped Police Foil a Domestic Terror Plot

Mt. Lebanon Police's rapid response to PlateSmart's real-time ALPR alert prevented a domestic terrorist armed with 30 explosive devices from executing a mass casualty attack.

Police searching the boot of a suspect car stopped during an investigation

Imminent Threat Alert: The Unfolding Situation

In June 2020, law enforcement agencies in Western Pennsylvania faced an imminent domestic terrorism threat. Kurt James Cofano had made explicit threats on social media to "blow up" the Treasury Department in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, before attacking CIA headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Earlier, on May 31, Cofano had also made threatening statements against Black Lives Matter protesters in Pittsburgh. These escalating threats signaled a clear and present danger to public safety across multiple jurisdictions.

High Stakes: Lives and Infrastructure at Risk

The potential consequences of failing to locate and apprehend the suspect were severe:

Possible mass casualties at government buildings and public gatherings

Destruction of federal property

Destabilizing effect on communities already facing social tensions

Strain on law enforcement resources across multiple jurisdictions

Technology as a Force Multiplier: PlateSmart ALPR

When the Whitehall Borough Police Department (Whitehall Borough is a suburb of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, Western PA) identified the threat, they immediately issued a be-on-the-lookout (BOLO) bulletin for Cofano's Mercedes-Benz.

The Mt. Lebanon Police Department (Mt. Lebanon is another suburb in Pittsburgh, Western PA), equipped with PlateSmart's AI-based Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology, was able to respond effectively.

The following capabilities of the technology were immensely beneficial:

  1. Real-Time Alert System: The PlateSmart ALPR system automatically scanned and identified Cofano's vehicle when it entered the coverage area on June 9, 2020.
  2. Immediate Notification: The system instantly alerted MLPD officers of the vehicle's presence and exact location.
  3. Rapid Response Coordination: With precise location data, officers were able to execute a strategic traffic stop without escalating the situation.

The Results: Threat Neutralized

Mt. Lebanon PD’s effective use of PlateSmart’s ALPR technology let to a successful operation with significant outcomes:

Suspect Apprehension: Officers safely arrested Cofano before he could carry out any attacks.

Weapons Recovery: During the arrest, police discovered 30 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Cofano's vehicle.

Additional Contraband Seized: Officers also recovered numerous weapons, homemade detonators, and chemicals used in making explosives.

Attack Prevention: The timely intervention prevented potential attacks on federal buildings and civilian gatherings.

A Race Against the Clock: Key Challenges

The severe challenges in this operation highlight just how time-sensitive the situation was and how access to the right technology played a critical role in the successful resolution. Here are the biggest challenges the police faced with this case:

Tracking a mobile domestic terrorist suspect across jurisdictional boundaries

Limited window of time between threat identification and potential attack

High stakes situation with multiple high-value targets identified

Need for real-time location data to intercept the suspect before any attack could be executed

Heavily armed and extremely dangerous suspect

The Future of Counter-Terrorism

This case illuminates two critical realities in modern security:

1. The Evolving Nature of Terrorism Threats:

Domestic terrorism incidents have increasingly outpaced international terrorism threats in recent years*

Lone-wolf actors present a unique challenge as they often operate without the organizational structures that make detection possible through traditional intelligence methods**

These individuals frequently self-radicalize and act independently, making their intentions difficult to discover through conventional surveillance

2. The Vehicle-Crime Connection:

Nearly all terrorist acts and serious crimes involve vehicles at multiple stages—from planning to execution to escape

Perpetrators use vehicles to conduct surveillance, transport weapons or explosives, approach their targets, and flee crime scenes

This heavy dependence on the use of vehicles creates a vulnerability in terrorist planning that can be exploited by law enforcement

These realities help us understand why ALPR technology emerges as an essential tool in counter-terrorism efforts.

Effective use of ALPR systems provides security agencies with a unique capability to identify suspicious vehicle patterns before an attack occurs. Agencies can also create digital tripwires that alerts authorities when vehicles of interest enter sensitive areas.

The real-time identification and tracking capabilities significantly enhance law enforcement's proactive counter-terrorism operations, allowing for swift intervention as demonstrated in the Cofano case.

ALPR empowers crime deterrence and prevention as well as crime investigation with comprehensive forensic evidence collection. This makes it invaluable for both stopping imminent threats and building cases after incidents occur.

Conclusion

Mt. Lebanon PD's use of PlateSmart ALPR technology to prevent a potentially devastating domestic terror attack showcases how advanced vehicle recognition systems serve as a force multiplier for law enforcement.

By providing real-time, actionable intelligence, PlateSmart enabled officers to safely apprehend a heavily armed suspect before any harm could be done, potentially saving countless lives.

As John Chigos, PlateSmart founder and CEO, noted: "The best law enforcement technology is the kind that prevents crime proactively, because it keeps officers and citizens alike safe. Stopping Cofano from detonating a single bomb, much less the 30 he was carrying, or shooting a single individual undoubtedly validates the technology."

This case study illustrates how PlateSmart's AI-driven ALPR solution has become an essential component of modern counter-terrorism strategy, allowing law enforcement to identify and neutralize threats before they materialize into tragedy.

LICENSE PLATE RECOGNITION (LPR): THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO VEHICULAR INTELLIGENCE

PlateSmart’s deep dive into License Plate Recognition and its immense contribution to security agencies and businesses.

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