Eyes on the Road: Tech expert recommends balance when using license plate readers
The growing use of license plate readers is also drawing attention from lawmakers.
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Flock Safety license plate readers are attracting growing attention as more police departments turn to the technology to help solve crimes and locate stolen vehicles.
Police officials across Long Island say the cameras have become an important investigative tool.
Hempstead Village Police Chief Richard Holland says the technology has helped his department respond to incidents more quickly and has contributed to a sharp increase in stolen-vehicle arrests.
“Our stolen motor vehicle arrest rates have gone up. They’ve tripled,” Holland said.
Southold Town Police Chief Steven Grattan also says the cameras have helped officers find stolen vehicles.
“The cameras have helped us locate multiple stolen vehicles coming into our jurisdiction,” Grattan said.
Police say the technology may also be helping prevent vehicle thefts.
In Nassau County, vehicle thefts have dropped significantly from a high of about 1,100 in 2022. There were 651 reported thefts last year, and 278 so far this year.
Holland credits improvements in Flock’s technology with helping police close cases.
“Flock really stepped up its game as far as its effectiveness and closing those cases,” he said.
But as more police agencies deploy the cameras, concerns about surveillance and privacy are growing. And the public is starting to push back.
Some Flock cameras have been damaged or destroyed, including several in the region. Crowdsourced websites, including one called De-Flock, are also tracking and mapping license plate reader locations across the country.
TechRadar Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff says Flock’s system uses artificial intelligence, but he cautions that the technology is not infallible.
“There have been documented mistakes,” Ulanoff said. He said authorities need to strike a balance when using the technology and should verify digital information with real-world evidence before relying on it.
The growing use of license plate readers is also drawing attention from lawmakers.
Suffolk County Legislator Greg Doroski sent a letter to Flock requesting information about search audit logs and who is accessing the data.
Doroski says there needs to be a broader public discussion about both the benefits and concerns surrounding the technology.
“We’re not having a robust public discussion about the usefulness of this technology, the public concerns about this technology,” he said.
Several bills in the New York State Legislature would regulate license plate readers and increase transparency surrounding their use.
Flock Safety says data collected by its system is automatically deleted after 30 days unless a customer chooses a different retention period. The company also says individual agencies control the data they collect and that access is limited to authorized users.
