Arizona DPS · LPR Program Founder
David Callister patrolled Arizona highways for two decades and built the state’s first License Plate Recognition program out of a single 2-camera vehicle LPR system. Today he brings that field experience to Motorola Solutions, working with the agencies and communities that rely on LPR technology every day.
The Trooper Behind The Program
Twenty years with the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the last of them spent building and running the agency’s License Plate Recognition program, taught him what this technology needs to do in the field, not just on a spec sheet.
Dave began his career as an Arizona State Trooper, patrolling the interstates and state highways of Arizona. He later moved to the Border Crimes Unit, working human smuggling, weapon smuggling, stolen vehicle and narcotics cases alongside federal, state and local task forces along the Arizona–Mexico border.
He spent eight years in DPS’s K9 unit as a patrol handler, supporting statewide task forces during saturation details and warrant service, before his final assignment as a detective on Arizona’s statewide Auto Theft Task Force.
In 2003, Dave and Arizona DPS built the department’s License Plate Recognition program, starting with a single system during a period when Phoenix had one of the country’s worst stolen vehicle problems. Under his direction, the program grew to more than 40 LPR units and several covert camera systems.
“How one Arizona DPS officer ID’d over 400 occupied stolen vehicles.”
Law Officer Magazine, “King of the Road,” March 2009
The program’s results drew coverage in Law Officer Magazine and a feature on the A&E series Live PD. Dave has since trained new users across the industry and helped guide where new LPR equipment gets deployed for the best results.
Dave retired from AZDPS in January 2020 after 20 years of service. He now works as a Regional Sales Manager with Motorola Solutions and continues to serve as an AZDPS reserve trooper.
The Hardware
Three platforms cover three different jobs: one rides in a patrol car, one watches a fixed point, and one deploys anywhere in minutes. Specs below come from Motorola Solutions’ published datasheets.
Mobile / Vehicle‑Mounted
Mounted on a patrol car, the L5M reads plates at highway speed in complete darkness. It’s the same kind of camera Dave built his program around at AZDPS.
Fixed / Dual‑Purpose
Installed on an existing pole or building, the L6D pairs a dedicated plate‑reading lens with a full‑color security camera in one housing, watching an intersection or entrance around the clock.
Portable / Quick‑Deploy
No poles, no trenching. The L6Q runs on solar and battery power, so it can go up at a hot spot or an event and start reading plates the same day.
Proof In The Field
License plate reader footage doesn’t just sit on a server. This case study looks at a public‑private LPR partnership between a residential community and local law enforcement, and how that footage helped close a case.
Get In Touch
Questions about Motorola Solutions’ LPR cameras, how they’re deployed, or what a program like this could look like in your community? Reach out directly.
dave.callister@motorolasolutions.comDavid Callister, Regional Sales Manager, Motorola Solutions
