Surveillance Technology Key to Identifying Brown University Shooter
In the investigation surrounding the Brown University mass shooting and the subsequent killing of an MIT professor, surveillance technology played a critical role in helping law enforcement officials locate the suspect.
Authorities utilized an advanced license-plate tracking system managed by Flock Safety, a company whose AI-supported platform is employed by approximately 7,000 police departments across the United States, including the Providence Police Department. This system uses cameras equipped with artificial intelligence to scan license plates and track vehicles’ movements across various locations.
According to officials, a significant breakthrough occurred once they received a tip connecting the shooter’s vehicle—a gray Nissan Sentra with a Florida license plate—to the investigation. Law enforcement entered this vehicle information into the Flock Safety system, which subsequently recorded the Nissan on the Brown University campus 14 times. The technology enabled the police to trace the vehicle’s path to a rental facility in Boston.
Further reports indicated that the system also captured the car’s movements as it crossed into Massachusetts and near the Brookline area, close to where MIT professor Nuno Loureiro was fatally shot. This geographic tracking helped authorities establish crucial links between the separate incidents.
Garrett Langley, owner of Flock Safety, acknowledged that while the company’s technology has faced pushback due to privacy concerns in some states, it was instrumental in this case. "We need to provide modern technology because clearly in this case, criminals are also using technology trying to avoid detection," Langley said. "It’s critical that we provide modern technology that provides precision policing."
Additionally, law enforcement showed some of the Flock Safety camera images to an individual aiding the investigation. According to court affidavits, the witness identified the images as very likely depicting the same car they had seen related to the case.
The successful use of license-plate tracking technology highlights the growing role of surveillance and AI in modern law enforcement efforts, even as debates continue around balancing privacy and security.
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