Winston-Salem Police Department

Background

The Winston-Salem Police Department (WSPD), internationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), takes a proactive, data-driven approach to public safety.

Lieutenant Ben Jones oversaw the department’s Real Time Crime Center (RTCC), housed within the Criminal Intelligence Bureau. His team provided officers and investigators with real-time intelligence to help them respond to incidents with greater context and make more informed decisions.

“A more informed officer makes better decisions. We provide as much real-time intelligence as possible to detect, deter, and solve crime.”

The Challenge

When investigating serious incidents, WSPD often needed to quickly identify vehicles connected to a crime. But finding a vehicle based on limited information could be difficult and time-consuming, particularly when investigators were relying heavily on witness accounts.

“We began looking at LPR solutions to assist in shootings, homicides, and cases involving vehicles.”

WSPD needed a way to turn the information investigators already had — such as a vehicle’s color, make, or model — into relevant evidence more quickly, while giving officers additional context beyond a license plate alone.

Improving Investigations with LPR and Multisensor

Winston-Salem deployed Verkada License Plate Recognition (LPR) and Multisensor cameras at traffic light intersections to help investigators gather more useful information when responding to incidents. Rather than providing only an image of a license plate, the combination gives WSPD additional visual context around a vehicle and the surrounding scene.

“Our goal is to improve the solvability and speed of investigations by being able to identify suspects' vehicles across different intersections. We tie LPR with the Multisensor, which gives a four-way view across the intersection. No other solutions we evaluated offer this capability.”

In partnership with the Winston-Salem Department of Transportation, Multisensor cameras connect to existing city infrastructure where fiber and power are available. When an incident is reported, the initial call goes to the appropriate Patrol Division and first responders are dispatched. Depending on the nature of the incident, specialized investigative teams can then use relevant video and vehicle information as part of their investigation.

Accelerating Investigations with Real-Time Analytics

For WSPD, one of the biggest benefits of Verkada is the ability to move from limited information to relevant footage more quickly.

People and Vehicle Analytics allow investigators to search footage using known details about a person or vehicle, helping narrow down relevant information without manually reviewing hours of video.

Finding Missing People

In one case, WSPD used Verkada to help investigate a missing-person report.

“We found a missing person on a Verkada camera, and used People Analytics to find her at different times. We were able to confirm that she was alive at particular times, which gave investigators a starting point.”

The information provided investigators with a more concrete timeline and helped establish where to focus the next stage of the investigation.

Identifying Vehicles Connected to Incidents

When a serious incident involves a vehicle, investigators can use Vehicle Analytics to quickly search footage using known details about the vehicle.

“As soon as there is a shooting, the team uses Verkada to quickly locate suspects’ vehicles based on their description and color.”

Using AI-powered search, investigators can narrow results further using known, objective vehicle attributes. In one homicide investigation, the team searched Command using the vehicle’s color, make, and model at relevant cameras or sites. This method yielded quick results while deliberately avoiding the use of personal characteristics.

By focusing on objective, incident-specific information, Verkada’s AI-powered search helps investigators conduct more precise and focused investigations.

Adding Video Context to LPR Results

Beyond identifying a license plate, Verkada associates video with LPR results, giving investigators context about the vehicle and surrounding scene. For Jones, that context can help officers distinguish between otherwise similar vehicles and reduce the likelihood of acting on incomplete information. “In the past, we might’ve stopped every red car. With Verkada, we have higher accuracy and less chance of mistaken identity. I've been in the LPR market for a while and found that most solutions only give you a picture of the tag and vehicle. Verkada associates a video with each tag, so we have additional context easily available for intelligence gathering.”

Maintaining Control Over Security Data

Verkada is designed to help organizations use physical security technology while maintaining control over their data. Each customer’s video and data remain isolated from other Verkada customers and are not pooled or placed into a shared, searchable network.

Within Command, role-based access controls help organizations determine who can access security data, while comprehensive audit logs provide visibility into platform activity. Verkada’s analytics are designed to support human judgment rather than replace it, helping operators use technology as one source of information when making decisions.

What's Next

For WSPD, the goal is to continue improving how quickly useful information reaches the people responding to and investigating serious incidents. By bringing LPR, video, and AI-powered search together, the Real Time Crime Center can help officers move from an initial report to relevant evidence more quickly — giving investigators greater context as they determine their next steps.

Lt. Jones adds: “My goal is real-time problem solving; witnessing events as they unfold, not after. With Verkada, we’re turning that goal into reality.”

See all the ways your organization can use Verkada with a personalized demo.

This story was originally published in 2024. Verkada has since employed Lt. Jones full-time as an industry subject matter expert.