Zackri Jones
Detective
Tallahassee Police Department, Florida

On April 22, 2023, a 911 call was received for a shooting within the city of Tallahassee, outside of a restaurant. Multiple suspects were involved. Security footage identified two groups of individuals near a Chevrolet Tahoe. Multiple rounds were fired by one group toward the other and the vehicle fled the scene with a shattered back window. During a subsequent license plate reader (LPR) investigation Detective Zackri Jones located the vehicle later that evening. It had a bullet impact in the frame of the rear window consistent with a 5.56 caliber firearm and fired cartridge cases from the scene. The vehicle was seized as evidence, and a shooter was identified and subsequently charged with attempted murder. 

On June 22, 2023, officers were dispatched to a conflict surrounding a planned fight where two subjects were shot and killed. One shooter and a gray Chevrolet Trailblazer had fled the scene. Detective Jones was able to locate the vehicle using the LPR network. The suspect was observed entering the vehicle and fleeing the scene. Responding units located a possible match of the vehicle. Detective Jones queried multiple LPR databases, observing the unique vehicle identifiers on both vehicles and determined it was the suspect vehicle. The vehicle was stopped, and the outstanding shooter was taken into custody within an hour of the shooting. 

These are just two of multiple examples in the past year of incredible police work by Detective Jones in his effort to utilize advanced LPR technology to solve crimes and keep the community safe.

Ernest Clayton
Officer
DeKalb County Police Department, Georgia

Officer Ernest Clayton’s experience and skills he has gained by utilizing license plate reader (LPR) technology has made him a valuable asset to his agency and the officers he works with. In the past year he has made significant criminal arrests, utilizing Flock LPR technology, directly related to vehicle identification. He has identified (15) stolen vehicles; (5) firearms; (3) armed robbery suspects; (1) child molestation suspect; (1) murder suspect; and (1) kidnapping victim rescued.

On August 26, 2023, Officer Clayton, with the assistance of other officers, responded to check a location for a kidnapping suspect. The kidnapping occurred in the City of John’s Creek where the suspect had kidnapped the victim and her two children at gunpoint. Officer Clayton used the Flock system to get an alert on the suspect’s vehicle. Officer Clayton located the vehicle at which time the suspect pulled into a Wal-Mart parking lot in an attempt to evade officers. Officer Clayton alerted the officers in the area and a felony traffic stop was conducted. The suspect was taken into custody and the kidnapping victim, with her children, were safely rescued without injury. A firearm was later located under the driver’s seat.

This is just one detailed example of Officer Clayton’s expertise in looking beyond the license plate and utilizing LPR technology to help protect the community.

Claudia Cormier
Corporal
San Marcos Police Department, Texas

Then Detective, Claudia Cromier used technology and a single license plate to successfully track suspects across multiple jurisdictions before they were apprehended. Throughout the investigation, she drafted 15 search warrants and worked with multiple agencies to track suspects who were on a mission to burgle storage units. Her hard work resulted in the apprehension of the suspects who were later discovered to have been primary witnesses that led to a homicide investigation. Without her skill, ability, and hard work, it is likely these thieves would have continued their work unabated. This case all started with a single license plate, a skilled investigator, and technology systems that increase public safety.

Amir Agha-Razi
Provincial Constable 
Ontario Provincial Police, Canada

Provincial Constable (PC) Amir Agha-Razi's work in traffic safety has led to interdictions, investigations, and seized drugs and weapons, and rescued victims of human trafficking. PC Agha-Razi's use of license plate quarries, in addition to traffic stops, based on his own observations have led to numerous high profiles stops and arrests. Once such stop occurred in September 2020, where a speeding violation led to the arrest of the vehicle occupants for possession of a weapon, forged documents, and a photo of an unknown individual. The vehicle occupants were also known to be involved in human smuggling. During a separate traffic stop, PC Agha-Razi recognized the individual from the photo and arrested 3 suspects. These arrests led to an investigation resulting in the arrest of a major human smuggler in Brazil. PC Agha-Razi's dedication and initiative to looking beyond the license plate, has yielded significant results, and disrupted major criminal organizations. 

Jonathan Davis
Trooper II 
Virginia State Police (VSP)

Trooper Jonathan R. Davis has pursued a path of valor, service, and leadership. Trooper Davis' traffic stop on a minivan and the legal search of the vehicle ultimately uncovered a credit card theft ring that was operated by two foreign nationals residing in New York. The search of the vehicle yielded the discovery of a large bag containing a credit card skimmer, 14 debit/gift cards, and $140,000 in US currency. Trooper Davis proactively contacted the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to determine if the agency had any intel or interest in these two individuals. An agent was dispatched to respond to the scene. The DHS agent ran all the cards through a mobile scanning device and determined that seven of the cards had been rewritten with stolen credit card identifications. Trooper Davis also contacted the VSP High-Tech Crimes Division for analysis of cell phones and other electronics seized from the vehicle to bolster his case and assist the federal agents with their investigation. Trooper Davis pursued state charges while a grand jury indicted both individuals on more than six felony charges. 

Nabeil Alhantoobi
Officer
Fujairah Police General Headquarters, United Arab Emirates 

While carrying out his daily duties, Officer Nabeil Alhantoobi, a 15-year veteran of the Fujairah Police General Headquarters, noticed a vehicle carrying a faded license plate. Officer Alhantoobi conducted a traffic stop and asked the motorist for their driver’s license and vehicle license document. Meanwhile, Officer Alhantoobi noticed that the passenger in the back seat tried to open the back door, despite it being locked. When asked about the passenger, the motorist panicked and fled the scene. Immediately, Officer Alhantoobi requested support to search the area in which the motorist fled. From their search, it was revealed that the passenger is 17-year-old who had been kidnapped and violently assaulted. Due to Officer Alhantoobi’s sharp observation skills and quick intuition, the two suspects were apprehended and are now serving life sentences. He his efforts also led to saving the young victim and opening an investigation into the other illicit activities the suspects were involved in.

Saeed Obeid Al Kindi
Lieutenant Colonel
Fujairah Police General Headquarters, United Arab Emirates

While on patrol, Lieutenant Colonel Al Kindi noticed a vehicle with faded license plate numbers and decided to follow the vehicle. After pulling into a gas station, the subject exited the vehicle and began having a verbal altercation with the gas station worker. Lieutenant Colonel Al Kindi noticed the behavior and attempted to pull over the vehicle after it left the gas station. After a brief pursuit, the vehicle stopped, and the subject exited the car. Lieutenant Colonel Al Kindi was able to detain the subject despite heavy resistance. It was later discovered that the vehicle was stolen and related to a homicide involving two victims that was reported just minutes earlier. It was determined that the subject involved in this arrest was the perpetrator in the homicide case and was taken into custody. Thanks to Lieutenant Colonel Al Kindi and his keen intuition, the suspect was apprehended before he could flee, destroy evidence, and escape justice.

Officer Caitlyn Crutchfield and Officer Erasmo Garcia

Officer Caitlyn Crutchfield and Officer Erasmo Garcia proactively ran license plates during their discretionary time and used a license plate hit as the basis to stop a vehicle reported stolen in an armed robbery. They made the initial stop, secured the driver, recognized the need for follow-up, and recovered a weapon. Their continued follow-up led to robbery charges against the suspect and a likely homicide closure shortly after the offense occurred. Officers Crutchfield and Garcia’s actions in this instance looked beyond the license plate and resulted in the closure of violent felonies.

Sergeant R. Gregory Clee

On March 10, 2015, Sergeant Clee stopped a motor vehicle with an expired validation sticker on the plate, travelling in Toronto, Canada. Sergeant Clee ran a check of the driver based off the name provided. Sergeant Clee confirmed that the license plates were not registered to the vehicle but due to a technology malfunction, he was not able to view the driver’s license. Sergeant Clee determined that the driver was driving with a suspended license and issued a summons to appear in court. 

While preparing for court, Sergeant Clee performed another search on the driver. This time he was able to pull the driver’s license photo from the name provided during the traffic stop. It was at that point Sergeant Clee realized that the image on the license did not match the driver of the vehicle.  

Upon further investigation, Sergeant Clee realized that the driver was committing identity theft and impersonation. 

Sergeant Clee was also able to establish that the accused committed fraud against the Ministry of Transportation by fraudulently registering vehicles and obtaining drivers licenses in fake names.

Upon execution of a search warrant at the accused’s residence it was revealed:

• The accused was impersonating a paralegal and over 30 victims were identified that had been taken advantage of
• The accused had been selling fake motor vehicle insurance and over 15 victims had been identified that had been taken advantage of
• The accused had numerous summonses to attend to court not in his name for offences that he had committed.
• The accused was charged with 39 Criminal Code charges and numerous Highway Traffic Act charges.