Automatic License Plate Readers, ALPRs, have recently come under scrutiny as communities and law enforcement balance public safety with privacy.
ALPR technology was first developed in 1976 in the United Kingdom as a tool to combat terrorism. ALPR systems were initially used on patrol vehicles to help officers scan license plates during traffic stops or regular patrols.
Now, fixed ALPRs, the ones on poles and traffic lights, capture key data, including license plate numbers, the date and time of the detection, and the location where the plate was read.
According to Police Chief Magazine, “the information is immediately checked against real-time databases that include stolen vehicles, wanted persons, AMBER Alerts, missing persons, and other investigative notices.” Police have considered it a force multiplier that can solve serious crimes faster.
Communities across the country, though, have raised privacy concerns regarding the technology.
There have also been multiple incidents of officers misusing the technology, leading to arrests in the Charlotte region.
In a provision tucked away in the recently passed state budget, law enforcement agencies are now authorized to place cameras alongside state-maintained roads.
On this episode, we speak with a local police chief whose department uses the technology, as well as a senior policy analyst with the ACLU, which has raised concerns about the technology’s implications for civil liberties and privacy.
GUESTS:
Ron Campurciani, chief of police, town of Mooresville
Jay Stanley, senior policy analyst with the ACLU Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project
Jeffrey B. Welty, professor of Public Law and Government, UNC School of Government
