Appendix D: Follow Up Email

Appendix D: Follow-Up Email Message

Dear [insert name]:

This is a follow-up email to a postal letter informing you of the opportunity to participate in a very important research study on law enforcement’s use of automated license plate readers (ALPR) for traffic safety purposes (such as detecting drivers with suspended, revoked, or restricted licenses). The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI), a Texas state agency that is part of the Texas A&M University System, is conducting this study on behalf of the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, U.S. Department of Transportation for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Governors Highway Safety Association. As noted in the letter, it is one of several studies being conducted under the National Cooperative Research and Evaluation Program, a program established under the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) (Public Law 112-141) to research and evaluate state highway safety countermeasures.

As part of this study, our research team would like to conduct case studies with law enforcement agencies that use ALPR technology to improve traffic safety. We’ll be speaking with law enforcement agencies across the country. The case studies will gather information about the following topics, via interviews with heads of agency, patrol officers, and other agency staff:

• the extent of your agency’s ALPR use that is directed toward traffic safety objectives,

• any existing data on the effectiveness of ALPR in detecting drivers who are unlicensed or have suspended/revoked licenses,

• information on the purchase, deployment, training, and maintenance costs of your agency’s ALPR units/system,

• any challenges your agency has encountered regarding ALPR use for traffic safety purposes, such as citizen/community complaints or concerns, and

• any existing written policies or procedures for ALPR data capture, analysis, storage/retention, and sharing.

In addition, we’ll send a brief list of additional information that we are hoping your agency will be able to share (e.g., written policies or procedures related to ALPRs, cost information).

Your agency’s participation in the study will provide us with useful information on the use of ALPR technology for traffic enforcement activities to improve highway safety. Participation in the case studies will be confidential; neither your agency nor any individuals participating on behalf of your agency will be identified in any study report or publication. Study findings will facilitate other law enforcement agencies’ use of ALPR technology for traffic safety purposes.

[Name], a TTI researcher, will follow up with a brief telephone call to discuss the study further.

Cordially,

Johanna Zmud

Principle Investigator and Senior Research Scientist

Texas A&M Transportation Institute