Working Paper: Automated License Plate Readers, Vehicle Theft, and Clearance

Peer-Reviewed Study · Mourtgos; Adams · August 14, 2026

A 2026 working paper (not peer-reviewed) on plate readers and car theft. It reports some drop in theft and higher clearance rates, but the clearance increase started before the cameras went in, weakening the link.

MVT arrest clearance rose 15.9 percent ([+7.3, +25.0]), although the increase began during the final three pre-deployment months, weakening causal attribution to the cameras.

A 2026 working paper (not peer-reviewed) on plate readers and car theft. It reports some drop in theft and higher clearance rates, but the clearance increase started before the cameras went in, weakening the link.

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