Emergency response via car license plates IDePLATES could improve the security situation

Bremen, June 2017. The German government asks for more scope for action in particular hazardous situations. Therefore, the Federal Council approved a law on March 31 that permits the Federal Police to use automatic license plate detection systems to provide more effective protection of the population in case of hazardous situations. The technology that is worth considering was demonstrated to the German Minister of the Interior Thomas de Maizière on the same day in Saxony at the motorway no. 4. Already since 2013, license plates have been captured there by means of video camera and reconciled with a database. Dietmar Mönnig is Managing Director of the Delmenhorst company Tönnjes E.A.S.T. and sees, however, clear shortcomings in this method: “If the license plate is dirty due to snow or mud, the detection quota via a system that is exclusively based on cameras is impaired.” More reliable would be a so-called IDePLATE - a license plate that can be read in any weather condition thanks to the integrated RFID chip.

De Maizière stresses during his visit that the automatic license plate detection by means of camera should be used to “increase safety and better identify offenders.” It should be used in particular near borders, at airports and dragnet investigations. However, according to Mönning there are doubts if the applied technology provides the level of security the government is asking for in this case. “Dangerous persons who prepare their actions by means of forged or manipulated license plates or use their vehicle as a weapon, could be detected faster, since the authorities have solid indications for the search”, he explains. The IDePLATE system has the right solution for this: “On the windscreen, drivers can attach a sticker called IDeSTIX containing a chip like the license plate. It has an encrypted identification number that can only be read by authorised readers.” Should the number plate therefore be mounted at the wrong vehicle, the mobile or stationary reader trigger an alarm. In the past year, the police in Saxony caught 26 vehicles with stolen license plates using their previous method. Mönning: “The number merely represents the license plates reported as stolen, since they appear in the database. With IDePLATE, in combination with the IDeSTIX, however, each stolen or manipulated license plate would be unmasked - even when the vehicle owner has not even noticed the theft yet.”

In Saxony, five mobile license plate reader systems are in use. The camera is attached to the crash barrier, a cable leads to a patrol car of the police and the officers see the cars driving past via a monitor. Each license plate is enlarged by zoom and reconciled with the database. In case of a match, the police officers need to go after the car with their vehicle. “This procedure takes long and is inefficient”, says Mönning. “The Federal Government should consider a contemporary solution.” Other countries have decided for the system from Tönnjes E.A.S.T. long time ago. Kenia, Peru and the Cayman Islands already capture vehicles in this manner. According to Mönning, it does not only protect in hazardous situations, but it is also suited for speed measurement or access controls. “Using the current method, too many evildoers get away without punishment. This circumstance does not provide sufficient security and is a burden on the tax payer in the end”, stresses the Managing Director.

About J.H. TÖNNJES E.A.S.T. GmbH & Co. KG:
As leading provider of security license plates for vehicles, J.H. TÖNNJES E.A.S.T. offers its customers solutions for vehicle identification for different requirements. The products are used to protect from manipulation, fraud and theft. Equipped with latest technologies, the company develops modular systems and individual complete solutions that fulfil the specific requirements in the fields of security, organisation and logistics.

Press contact:
Thorsten Preis
DENKBAR – PR & Marketing GmbH
Güntherstraße 13/15
28199 Bremen
Phone: +49 (0) 421-699 255-10
tpreis@denkBar-pr.de

Annemarie Neumair
J.H. TÖNNJES E.A.S.T. GmbH & Co. KG
Syker Str. 201
27751 Delmenhorst
Phone: +49 (0) 4221-795-315
a.neumair@toennjes.com

This release was published on openPR.