Millions of License Plates Being Recorded by Police
Law Enforcement has expanded its use of cameras. Over the past few years most areas have seen an increase police cameras attached to traffic lights. Those cameras were initially designed to catch “law breakers” who either ran a light or didn’t come to a complete stop at a red light before making a right turn on red. Now A rapidly growing network of police cameras are also capturing, storing and sharing data on license plates, making it possible to connect people’s movements whether they are stuck in a commute, driving to the beach or up to no good.
For the first time, the number of license tag captures has reached the millions, according to a study published Wednesday by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) based on information from hundreds of law enforcement agencies. Departments keep the records for weeks or years, sometimes indefinitely, saying they can be crucial in tracking suspicious cars, aiding drug busts, finding abducted children and more.
Law enforcement officials say the scanners are strikingly efficient. The state of Maryland told the ACLU that troopers could “maintain a normal patrol stance” while capturing up to 7,000 license plate images in a single eight-hour shift.
Attached to police cars, bridges or buildings, major roadways and sometimes as an app on a police officer’s Smartphone, scanners capture images of passing or parked vehicles and identify their locations, uploading that information into police databases.
Over time with some of the information going into regional databases encompassing multiple jurisdictions, it’s becoming easier to build a record of where someone has been and when, over a large area. It’s also been noted that few of the agencies place any “substantial restrictions” on how the information can be used.
In 2012 the Supreme Court ruled that…. Click here to finish story.
