NEW license plate cameras have helped cops catch dozens of criminals – but drivers are still left with questions.
Since March, cops in Austin, Texas, have installed 40 fixed cameras across the city to serve as automated license plate readers.
A law enforcement license plate reader camera in California[/caption]
The installed cameras take pictures of every license plate that passes by (stock image)[/caption]
A Flock Camera installed in Norfolk, Virginia[/caption]
At a public safety meeting on Monday, the Austin Police Department shared that the plate readers contributed to them identifying multiple criminals.
APD said the cameras have helped to arrest or identify two murder suspects. They’ve also aided in arresting 40 people for stolen vehicles.
The Flock Safety License Plate Reader Program also helped recover 20 stolen vehicles with no arrests.
The cameras by Flock Safety, mounted on utility poles, are used by cities and homeowner associations across Texas – but the technology has created some controversy in Austin.
The cameras have raised questions about privacy, data retention, and discrimination regarding the automated readers, according to local ABC affiliate KVUE.
Commissioners at the meeting questioned APD’s update and requested more information about how much data was shared with other agencies.
People also asked about the number of “false positive stops,” which would include people who were pulled over because the tech misread a license plate.
Meeting attendees expressed concerns about the demographics of the people who were wrongly pulled over as commissioners raised questions about the readers’ discrimination.
APD is expected to answer the raised questions at a meeting next month.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to APD for comment.
The last camera was installed in the city in August, and police said they plan on training all officers on the tool by the end of October.
APD plans to activate the systems in patrol cars.
“That will give us the ability, per the resolution, to be able to run the software in the car,” an APD spokesperson said at the meeting.
“So as you’re driving down the road, the camera’s officer doesn’t have to do anything.
What the license plate readers are used for
The Flock Safety License Plate Reader Program in Austin, Texas, is being used to aid police in solving crime. The license plate readers are used to:
- Take a picture of every passing license plate
- Store data for seven days
- Ping police if a plate connected to a certain crime is captured
With the data, the plate readers can:
- Run license plates
- Identify drivers
- Identify stolen cars
“The Axon system automatically reads everything and puts it in the database.”
APD previously said that running license plates manually is a time-consuming task, especially as the city faces a staffing shortage.
KVUE reports that as of Monday, the department had 355 vacancies, nearly 20% of the force, for sworn officers.
When questions about discrimination were raised earlier this year, APD said the license plate readers would be evenly distributed throughout Austin so that no one area would be targeted.
CEASE AND DESIST ORDER
Last month, the Texas Department of Public Safety ordered Flock Safety to stop operating in private homes and businesses after the company failed to obtain a private investigators’ license, according to Houston Fox affiliate KRIV.
The state’s DPS sent a cease and desist order for Flock’s cameras, but Flock shared a statement with KRIV saying they did nothing wrong.
“Flock has been proactively working with the Texas Department of Public Safety to determine which licenses apply to Flock,” Flock Safety said.
“When DPS informed us we need to complete a certification process for a private investigations license, we immediately initiated the process, and we anticipate we will obtain the official certification shortly. This will not change how we serve customers throughout the state.
“None of this has any effect on Flock cameras owned by Texas law enforcement agencies,” they continued.
“Flock technology currently assists 300+ law enforcement agencies across the state of Texas in solving hundreds of crimes, including homicides, assaults, kidnappings, and more, on a daily basis.
“Flock cameras throughout Texas remain in operation to help keep communities safe.”
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Flock Safety for comment.
The Flock Safety cameras are installed on utility poles in Austin, Texas (stock image)[/caption]
