Automatic Number Plate Recognition
Auror is not a hardware or camera provider, or a camera analytics company. Auror does not install or operate cameras on highways and road networks.
Instead, Auror helps retailers manage their existing Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system for their carparks to prevent shop theft, keep retail workers and customers safe, and respond to police requests for information.
Auror’s ANPR system is an opt-in tool for retailers, designed to alert frontline teams and organised retail crime investigation teams when a vehicle previously linked to serious or prolific shop theft in their stores re-enter their carparks. This provides store teams with crucial notice to help them determine the best approach to take, and allows them to check for a limited time period, if that vehicle has previously entered their carpark.
In Australia and New Zealand, retailers also use Auror ANPR to help manage police requests for number plate information. Historically, police would rely on public appeals for information or attend a store to check carpark footage. This gives police limited access to retailers’ ANPR information with strict safeguards in place to ensure responsible use for lawful purposes. Ultimately, this helps police and retailers collaborate more effectively to address both retail crime and serious crime in the community.
Preventing retail crime at the carpark
For decades, retailers have used cameras to record vehicles entering and exiting their carparks. These cameras are capable of identifying vehicle number plates and have become widely-used technology, commonly utilised for parking access.
Auror does not make cameras, video management systems (VMS) or number plate recognition software, instead the software helps retailers manage the workflows of these systems by informing their ANPR system with the information they already have about shop theft and violent incidents in their stores.
These workflows are designed to ensure retailers are using the information responsibly and only for crime prevention and safety purposes.
How it works for retailers
Individuals who steal or commit acts of violence in a store, will often arrive and leave in a vehicle. As part of the process where a retailer enters information about these incidents into Auror, they can include a number plate, if known. A retailer must do this manually, there is no automated process or camera analytics that pull that information directly into Auror.
If the incident meets a retailer’s criteria for harm or severity (for example, the event was violent, a weapon was involved, or there is a prolific theft component), the retailer may choose to receive an alert the next time that vehicle enters their carpark. They can also use Auror to check their system to see if that vehicle has previously been at their sites within a limited period only. The retention period of this information typically aligns with industry-standard video management storage, which is up to 60 days.
Auror manages this workflow, including the access to the system, the alert, and the audit trail. It primarily works as a preventative tool to provide store teams with a crucial moments’ notice to make informed decisions about how to protect their stores, staff and customers.
For retailers, Auror’s workflows also include a number of safeguards for their staff to access their own ANPR information.
- Access is narrow and closely governed. Only trained retailer users have access.
- Every time a retailer views the system, they must input a declaration and reason.
- All activity is logged. Designated administrators within the retail organisation can review this audit trail for all users in their organisation at any time, providing ongoing oversight of how the tool is used.
Retailers and police working together responsibly and securely
Police have always sought information about sightings of vehicles for policing purposes from the community and retailers. This would historically involve public appeals in newspapers, social media posts, or calls and visits to stores. Auror digitises this process to make it more efficient for retailers to respond to these requests while providing safeguards and access controls to help ensure responsible use by both retailers and police.
In addition, law enforcement agencies govern their use of technology, including Auror, in accordance with their own internal operating procedures and relevant laws relating to the use of information for the purpose of investigations.
Auror has strict controls and safeguards around police access. Police requests are only returned if they satisfy pre-set criteria of safeguards by retailers and police.
These include:
Declaration by police users as to the legitimate police purpose for the request.
Entry of a valid police file number linked to the request.
Reasons for accessing any retailer ANPR information, such as the crime type linked to the request.
Activity is logged and auditable to ensure access is linked to legitimate police purposes.
Supervisor approvals or warrants where required.