We’ve got to give some well-deserved credit to the Greece Police Department — they recently recovered a stolen vehicle thanks to something called LPR technology. That stands for License Plate Reader, and if you live or drive in the Greece, NY area, you’ve probably driven through zones where this technology is quietly at work.
Here’s how it went down:
Two individuals stole a vehicle, but when that car passed through an area equipped with an LPR, it triggered an alert. The system recognized the plate as being tied to a stolen vehicle and immediately notified law enforcement. Thanks to that alert, the vehicle was recovered quickly, and those involved were caught.
👏 Pretty slick use of tech, if you ask me.
But here’s the part that most people don’t know — insurance companies are using this same technology (or the data from it) to detect fraudulent insurance activity.
The Tech Behind the Scenes: How LPRs Work
License Plate Readers are mounted on traffic poles, police cruisers, or city-owned property. As vehicles pass by, the cameras scan license plates in real time and cross-reference them with law enforcement databases. They’re used to find:
- Stolen vehicles
- Cars involved in crimes
- Vehicles with expired registrations or outstanding warrants
It’s all automated, accurate, and fast. And now, this data is helping insurance companies too.
What Insurance Companies Are Doing with LPR Data
Let’s say someone claims they live in Rochester, NY and uses that address to buy car insurance. The reason? Insurance rates are usually cheaper upstate than they are in places like the Bronx or other downstate areas.
But here’s where it gets tricky:
If that same person ends up having an accident in the Bronx — or if their license plate is consistently picked up by LPR systems in downstate zip codes — the insurance company may investigate. They can run the plate and analyze the vehicle’s movement history to see where it actually lives. If the car shows up downstate 100% of the time, that’s a red flag.
This kind of rate evasion is considered insurance fraud. And unfortunately, it contributes to rising premiums for everyone else — including honest policyholders right here in Greece.
Why This Matters to You — Even If You’re Doing Everything Right
We know how frustrating rising auto insurance rates can be. Trust me, we feel it too. While there are many factors that influence premiums (repair costs, vehicle thefts, claim frequency, etc.), fraud is a major player.
The good news is that when carriers can detect and prevent fraud using tools like LPR data, it helps create a more fair pricing system.
Fewer fraudulent policies = fewer inflated payouts = less pressure to raise premiums across the board.
What This Means for Our Community
At VanScoter Insurance, we work every day to make sure our clients are properly covered and paying fair rates. We also care deeply about community safety — and stories like this show how local law enforcement and industry tools are working hand-in-hand to fight crime and protect our wallets.
We don’t write policies for people outside of our client base, and we don’t work with folks trying to game the system. We’re here for the honest, hard-working individuals and families in our community who want real protection and real service.
A Big Thank You
So here’s a big kudos to the Greece Police Department — and to the insurance carriers working behind the scenes to fight fraud. It’s not flashy work, but it makes a difference.
Technology is helping us protect what matters. Let’s keep working together to make our neighborhoods — and our insurance rates — a little safer.
Need help reviewing your current auto coverage?
If you’re a current VanScoter Insurance client, give us a call. We’ll make sure everything looks good, and you’re not overpaying or under-covered.
