Automated license plate readers

Policing agencies across the country are deploying automated license plate readers (ALPRs) — high-speed camera systems which capture and store information about passing vehicles. This data, once collected, can be used to track individuals and monitor their movements. Some vendors claim that their ALPR systems also can identify associations between individuals, and even detect criminal activity.

Absent regulation, the use of ALPRs by law enforcement can have significant consequences for civil liberties, civil rights, and racial justice. Potential harms include incursions upon personal privacy, over-enforcement of low-level offenses, and false positive alerts resulting in unnecessary police contact.