New Haven Collects Nearly $3 Million in One Year From Back Taxes, Tickets & Penalties With License Plate Recognition System

ELSAG North America`s MPH-900 paying off with multiple applications
BREWSTER, N.Y.--(Business Wire)--
Since employing the Mobile Plate Hunter-900 license plate recognition system by
ELSAG North America one year ago, New Haven, CT tax collector C.J. Cuticello
claims to have pulled in $2.6 million in revenue owed to the municipality. The
MPH-900 is a camera system, usually mounted to a law enforcement vehicle, that
captures images of license plates and cross-references them with a database for
sought-after vehicles. It is most commonly used to recover stolen vehicles.

In light of today`s economy, communities and law enforcement agencies are
tightening their belts across the board. ELSAG North America has developed a
tool that enhances the capability of officers in the field and is able to
actually generate revenue for their communities. ELSAG North America`s MPH-900
has multiple applications beyond just recovering stolen vehicles.

New Haven`s was one of the first tax collectors to recognize the potential of
the MPH-900 in reference to their work. Cuticello first began exploring the idea
and implementation of license plate recognition technology in 2004 to aid his
office. As he researched more about the technology he concluded that ELSAG`s
MPH-900 was the best in the business. In the past year using the MPH-900 his
office has collected $2.6 million in back taxes, tickets and penalties.

"As a tax collector and somebody who is really enthusiastic about technological
advancements, I am thrilled with ELSAG North America`s MPH-900," said Cuticello.
"It has made my job much more efficient and even more exciting."

The New Haven Tax Collector`s office inputs the license plate numbers of
scofflaws who owe the city tax money into a database that is cross-referenced by
the MPH-900 system in the field. They currently have four cars with this camera
system that simultaneously read all license plates that the vehicle comes across
in a 360 degree radius. The system alerts the driver when it identifies a
license plate that is in the database. The driver then calls in the information
of the vehicle`s whereabouts and verifies that it is in fact a tax evader. The
office subsequently arranges to have the vehicle towed and alerts the local
police of their actions. When the offender realizes that their car is missing
and notifies the police, the police then explain why the vehicle has been
apprehended and its whereabouts. The police then direct the person to
Cuticello`s office where they must settle all of their fines at once and in cash
before being allowed to reacquire their vehicle.

The New Haven team also works with the police by alerting them if they have an
Amber Alert plate or a serious offender outside the realm of tax evasion.

"We love to see our clients pleased with the MPH-900, especially when they get
creative with its applications," said Mark Windover, president and CEO of ELSAG
North America. "Our job is to make our clients more successful at their job
catching the bad guys on the street, and it is very rewarding."

New Haven is not the only municipality to be using the MPH-900 to this end;
however, it is one of the first and most exciting as they immediately
recuperated the cost of the MPH-900 and have reclaimed millions of dollars for
their city.

ELSAG North America`s systems are currently employed by over 500 agencies in 34
states across the U.S. Their systems have many applications and have aided in
everything from traffic safety and intelligence gathering to the apprehension of
stolen vehicles.

About ELSAG North America

ELSAG North America is a Finmeccanica company, a global leader in defense and
security solutions, and is dedicated to providing proprietary advanced Automatic
License Plate Recognition (ALPR) and other innovative imaging technology to
North American law enforcement agencies. ELSAG North America leads the market
with its Mobile Plate Hunter, the MPH-900 , the most advanced, most accurate
license plate reader technology available. ELSAG North America is headquartered
in Brewster, NY. For more information about the company and its exciting
technology portfolio, visit www.ELSAGNA.com.

ELSAG North America
Nate Maloney, 518-495-2288
Director Marketing & Communication
nate.maloney@elsagna.com
or
Colangelo & Partners PR
Jonathan LaRochelle, 646-624-2885 ext. 104
jlarochelle@colangelopr.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009