2021: The Year Flock Safety License Plate Readers Exploded Across the Country

By guest writer Joe Cadillic, founder of the MassPrivatel Blog

2021 will also go down as the year police/Flock Safety license plate readers exploded across the country.

One major development that went overlooked by the mass media is Flock Safety’s role in the ever-expanding network of police license plate readers. From January 2021-December 2021, law enforcement and neighborhood associations across the country have been installing Flock Safety license plate readers at a record pace.

It is my hope that others will see what I have documented and ask, “how can a private company get away with creating a nationwide license plate tracking system during a pandemic?”

January

Neighborhood associations are using Flock Safety license plate readers:
“An increasing number of central Indiana neighborhoods are partnering with private companies to install license plate scanners in their subdivisions.”
https://www.wthr.com/article/news/crime/indy-neighborhoods-scanning-visitors-license-plates/531-f0301817-65ed-45d5-9602-49e29914d911

Cameras that read license plates will ‘virtually gate’ the city of Stanton:
“We want to virtually gate Stanton,” said Allan Rigg, public works director. “And we want a record of cars that are coming into town and those leaving town … so we have a record of vehicles when crimes occur.”
https://www.ocregister.com/2021/01/28/cameras-that-read-license-plates-will-virtually-gate-the-city-of-stanton/

Kenosha Police Department looking at advanced license plate recognition technology:
“The Kenosha Police Department is looking to finalize a contract with Vigilant Solutions, a Livermore, Calif.-based corporation that develops and designs advanced software systems for photographing vehicles, as well as capturing license plate data with date, time, and GPS coordinates.”
https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/kenosha-police-looking-at-advanced-license-plate-recognition-technology-to-recover-stolen-vehicles/article_601ea930-28cd-582d-883f-0804597c3921.html

South Carolina: Bill Would Limit ALPR Use and Data Retention:
https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2020/12/south-carolina-bill-would-limit-alpr-use-and-data-retention-help-block-national-license-plate-tracking/

Tennessee: License plate reader debate delayed in Metro Nashville until February:
https://www.wkrn.com/special-reports/license-plate-reader-debate-delayed-in-metro-nashville-until-february/

California: Paso Robles to deploy automatic vehicle license plate readers throughout the town:
https://pasoroblesdailynews.com/paso-robles-to-deploy-automatic-vehicle-license-plate-readers/118992/

California: Chula Vista Police Chief Claims She Didn’t Know Department Shared License Plate Data With Immigration:
“Chula Vista Police Chief Roxana Kennedy told residents she just recently learned that federal immigration authorities were included among the more than 800 law enforcement agencies that were given access to Chula Vista’s license plate reader data.”
https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/government/chula-vista-police-chief-says-she-didnt-know-department-shared-data-with-feds/

Virginia: Senate Bill Would Limit Police ALPR Use:
https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2021/01/virginia-bill-would-limit-alpr-use-help-block-national-license-plate-tracking-program/

The Privacy Dangers of Digital License Plates:
https://www.motorists.org/blog/dangers-of-digital-license-plates/

February

Arizona: Litchfield Park To Install 32 Flock Safety License Plate Readers To Maintain A “SAFE LIFESTYLE”:
“Litchfield Park will pay $80,000 a year for the camera system. Interim City Manager Matthew Williams stressed Tuesday the cameras will not monitor speed or traffic signals, and the technology does not use facial recognition. Williams says the system will help the community maintain a “safe lifestyle.”
https://www.azfamily.com/news/litchfield-park-to-install-32-license-plate-readers-to-maintain-safe-lifestyle/article_42e47b62-70ac-11eb-9a61-ab674df2f9b9.html

Chicago aldermen pressured by police district commanders to use menu money for surveillance cameras, license plate readers:
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/2/11/22276978/chicago-aldermen-menu-money-cameras-license-plate-readers-police-district-commanders

Illinois: Glen Carbon Police To Begin Using License Plate Readers:
https://www.theintelligencer.com/news/article/Cameras-that-can-read-vehicle-license-plates-15947498.php

Virginia: General Assembly makes renewed attempt at restricting use of license plate reader data:
https://roanoke.com/news/local/general-assembly-makes-renewed-attempt-at-restricting-use-of-license-plate-reader-data/article_4bddf172-6714-11eb-b2db-b3ff4021a5a0.html

Tennessee: Lebanon Police Department Wants A License Plate Reader System:
https://www.govtech.com/public-safety/Tennessee-City-Considers-License-Plate-Scanner-Rollout.html

California: Natomas Community Installs License Plate Readers In Hopes Of Deterring Crime:
https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2021/02/17/natomas-hamptons-license-plate-reader/

The Government is Tracking You: Automatic License Plate Readers and Data Sharing on our Streets:
https://www.eff.org/event/government-tracking-you-automatic-license-plate-readers-and-data-sharing-our-streets

March

Inside ‘TALON,’ Flock Safety’s Nationwide Network of AI-Enabled Surveillance Cameras:
https://www.vice.com/en/article/bvx4bq/talon-flock-safety-cameras-police-license-plate-reader 

Flock Safety (TALON) National License Plate Tracking Program is Built on Fear:
https://massprivatei.blogspot.com/2020/08/flock-safety-national-license-plate.html

Police Are Installing Flock License Plate Readers In Burger King, Walmart, And Lowes Parking Lots Across The Country:
https://www.vice.com/en/article/epd3yk/the-ai-enabled-cameras-surveilling-towns-across-america
https://www.vice.com/en/article/bvx4bq/talon-flock-safety-cameras-police-license-plate-reader

Las Vegas Apartment Complex Deploys Knightscope Robot That Identifies People’s IP Addresses:
Officially known as the Knightscope MIN31KS, the human-sized autonomous robot offers a variety of security measures, including video recording with four cameras, face recognition, reading license plates, verbal warnings, a telephone connection with human security officers, and a presence to help prevent improper activity.
https://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/94754-las-vegas-apartment-complex-deploys-autonomous-robot-for-security

License-Plate Scans Aid Crime-Solving but Spur Little Privacy Debate:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/license-plate-scans-aid-crime-solving-but-spur-little-privacy-debate-11615384816
https://www.technocracy.news/license-plate-scans-are-growing-exponentially/

Massachusetts: Lawmaker files bill to limit use of license plate reader data:
https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/news/2021/03/01/peake-files-bill-limit-use-license-plate-reader-data/6867326002/

Tennessee: City of Lebanon continues to look at license plate readers:
https://news.yahoo.com/lebanon-continues-look-license-plate-045900953.html

Illinois: Decatur City Council approves lease for 60 Flock Safety license plate reader cameras:
https://herald-review.com/news/local/public_safety/decatur-city-council-approves-lease-for-60-license-plate-reader-cameras-in-effort-to-combat/article_c6017e70-2aee-500b-8671-3558133a2ce9.html

Indiana: St. John police loops into license plate reader technology:
https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/st-john-loops-into-license-plate-reader-technology/article_e2f1726a-0ecb-56a6-92f2-e799c009b3c1.html

Texas: Woodlands board defers request for more license plate readers:
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/neighborhood/woodlands/article/Woodlands-board-defers-request-for-more-license-16053706.php

Texas: The West University Police Department To Spend $4.5 Million On License Plate Readers:
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/neighborhood/bellaire/article/West-U-police-hope-4-5M-license-plate-readers-16047714.php

California: Los Altos Hills green-lights using automatic license plate readers:
https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/sections/news/199-city-affairs/64160-los-altos-hills-green-lights-using-automatic-license-plate-readers

California: EFF Joins Effort to Restrict Automated License Plate Readers:
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/01/eff-joins-effort-restrict-automated-license-plate-readers-california

EFF Tells California Lawmakers to Crack Down on License Plate Data Collection:
https://www.eff.org/press/releases/video-hearing-tuesday-eff-tells-california-lawmakers-crack-down-license-plate-data

California Senate Committee Passes Bill to Limit ALPR Data Retention:
https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2021/03/california-senate-committee-passes-bill-to-limit-alpr-data-retention-help-block-national-license-plate-tracking-program/

April

LexisNexis to Provide Giant Database of Personal Information to ICE:
“The contract shows LexisNexis will provide Homeland Security investigators access to billions of different records containing personal data aggregated from a wide array of public and private sources, including credit history, bankruptcy records, license plate images, and cellular subscriber information. The company’s databases offer an oceanic computerized view of a person’s existence; by consolidating records of where you’ve lived, where you’ve worked, what you’ve purchased, your debts, run-ins with the law, family members, driving history, and thousands of other types of breadcrumbs, even people particularly diligent about their privacy can be identified and tracked through this sort of digital mosaic.”
https://theintercept.com/2021/04/02/ice-database-surveillance-lexisnexis/

Facial Recognition Company Genetec Announces Their New “Genetec Record Fusion Service”:
“The new Record Fusion Service feature offers a simple, fast path to integrate third-party data streams from private or partner record publishers, such as traffic, utilities, or weather feeds, to name only a few. Users can define tailored record types and consume data from various sources, including KML, JSON, and CSV documents. Genetec Mobile, a unified app that enables users to access cameras, doors, and automatic license plate recognition units from their smartphones, now supports Genetec Mission Control.”
https://www.genetec.com/about-us/news/press-center/press-releases/genetec-announces-new-version-of-security-center

Sipelia Communications Management:
https://www.genetec.com/solutions/all-products/security-center/sipelia-communications-management

ParkMobile Breach Exposes License Plate Data, Mobile Numbers of 21M Users:
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2021/04/parkmobile-breach-exposes-license-plate-data-mobile-numbers-of-21m-users/

The Fourth Amendment in the Digital Age:
“In exploring the Court’s decision in Carpenter and its application to data from a variety of technologies — such as GPS, automated license plate readers, and wearables — this paper argues that it is incumbent on courts to preserve the balance of power between the people and the government as enshrined in the Fourth Amendment, which was intended to “place obstacles in the way of a too permeating police surveillance.”
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/policy-solutions/fourth-amendment-digital-age

New Data Set Shows Scale of Vehicle Surveillance in Marin County:
“The Tiburon Police Department has the dubious distinction of collecting, mile-for-mile, more data on drivers than any other agency surveyed for a new EFF data set. EFF is releasing Data-Driven 2: California Dragnet, a new public records collection, and data set that shines a light on the massive amount of vehicle surveillance conducted by police using automated license plate readers and how very little of this surveillance is actually relevant to an active public safety interest.”
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/04/data-driven-2-california-dragnet-new-dataset-shows-scale-vehicle-surveillance

California: Los Altos Hills To Install 40 Flock Safety License Plate Readers:
https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/sections/news/199-city-affairs/64313-los-altos-hills-license-plate-reader-town-hall-addition-projects-advance

California: Malibu officials eye more license plate cameras:
https://www.malibusurfsidenews.com/f/news-police-fire/malibu-officials-eye-more-license-plate-cameras

California: ‘A necessary tool:’ Chula Vista approves keeping Vigilant Solutions license plate readers:
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/communities/south-county/chula-vista/story/2021-04-21/a-necessary-tool-chula-vista-approves-keeping-license-plate-readers

California: Chula Vista must stop its automated license plate reader program. It’s undermining civil liberties:
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/community-voices-project/story/2021-04-02/chula-vista-automated-license-plate-readers

California: Chula Vista asks Justice Department to audit its license plate reader program:
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/communities/south-county/chula-vista/story/2021-04-18/chula-vista-police-proposing-changes-to-license-plate-reader-program-seeking-independent-review

Maryland: House Passes Bill to Ban Warrantless Access to State Driver License Database for ICE:
https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2021/04/maryland-house-passes-bill-to-ban-warrantless-access-to-state-driver-license-database-for-immigration-enforcement/

Mississippi: Wentzville Police Department installs Flock Safety cameras to allegedly help solve crime:
https://www.70westsentinel.com/wentzville-police-department-installs-flock-safety-cameras-to-help-solve-crime/

Tennessee: License plate reader debate put on pause:
https://www.wsmv.com/news/license-plate-reader-debate-in-nashville-put-on-pause/article_9ce35b52-a314-11eb-9228-cb8b418059c5.html

Illinois: License Plate Reader Cameras Spotted In Lemont:
https://patch.com/illinois/lemont/license-plate-reader-cameras-spotted-lemont

States consider rule changes for license plate readers:
“To date, at least 16 states have enacted rules relating to the use of automated license plate readers. Among the group, there are six states to place restrictions on government or law enforcement use of the technology. Eight states limit how long data can be kept, and four states specify that data is exempt under public records laws.”
https://landline.media/states-consider-rule-changes-for-license-plate-readers/

May

Atlanta council approves Flock Safety license plate readers to allegedly fight crime:
https://www.mdjonline.com/neighbor_newspapers/northside_sandy_springs/news/updated-atlanta-council-approves-flock-as-camera-vendor-to-combat-crime/article_6f3b7cb4-ad66-11eb-b89c-3b8af01dc62f.html

Georgia: Hogansville Police Hosts Forum Encouraging Anti-Crime Surveillance Cameras (Flock Safety License Plate Readers):
“Chief of Police Jeffrey Sheppard hopes to have the Flock monitoring system approved by the city in July and the first few installed by September. The first ones would be placed at the city limits and overtime in other locations within the city like neighborhood subdivisions.”
https://www.wrbl.com/news/local-news/lagrange-bureau/hogansville-police-hosts-forum-encouraging-anti-crime-surveillance-cameras/

Florida: North Port to install a ring of license plate reader cameras around the city:
Deputy Police Chief Chris Morales and his boss, Chief Todd Garrison, picture a security perimeter, a ring to monitor strategic spots, the software hunting for trends and incidents, criminals, or those lost or abducted, Morales said.
https://www.yoursun.com/northport/news/north-port-to-install-license-plate-reader-cameras/article_8282b452-be43-11eb-a941-cbeedc6661e2.html

Kansas: Wichita police claim Flock Safety License plate readers help with crime investigations:
https://www.kwch.com/2021/05/11/license-plate-reading-cameras-helping-wichita-police-with-crime-investigations/

Indiana: Flock Safety license plate readers coming to McCordsville:
http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/2021/05/25/license_plate_cameras_coming_to_mccordsville/

California: Santa Maria To Install 31 Flock Safety License Plate Readers:
https://lompocrecord.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/automatic-license-plate-readers-coming-to-santa-maria-after-city-council-approves-240k-request/article_029e0129-ca7a-5e5f-97de-7062d0803560.html

California auto group to sell digital license plates at Nissan dealerships:
https://www.autoremarketing.com/technology/auto-group-sell-digital-license-plates-california-nissan-dealerships

California: Police license plate readers, draw privacy concerns from others:
“As a vehicle’s license plate is picked up over and over by the cameras, a trail of that vehicle’s movements is created. And as an outsourced service, local governments have little control over what happens with the data collected, they say. That leaves the systems open to abuse and the potential for sharing of data with private companies or federal authorities, which may use the information to, for example, target undocumented immigrants.”
https://www.bakersfield.com/news/license-plate-readers-seen-as-a-tool-for-police-draw-concerns-from-others/article_da11ec66-a15f-11eb-a27a-f771c76fad67.html

California: Los Altos Hills pursues max fines to thwart license plate reader misuse:
https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/los-altos-hills-pursues-max-fines-to-thwart-license-plate-reader-misuse/article_9b48570d-5f6f-50c3-9a30-e84c0584eaf9.html

June

Lawsuit Accuses Digital Recognition Network of Secretly Collecting Billions of License Plates:
https://www.thelastamericanvagabond.com/lawsuit-accuses-digital-recognition-network-secretly-collecting-billions-license-plates/
https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Mata_DRN-COMPLAINT.pdf
https://drndata.com/

Massachusetts: Joint Legislative Committee Holds Hearing on Bills to Limit ALPR Data, Help Block National License Plate Program:
https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2021/06/massachusetts-committee-holds-hearing-on-bills-to-limit-alpr-data-help-block-national-license-plate-program/

Michigan: City of Royal Oak Put License Plate Readers In Parking Meters:
https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/royal-oaks-new-meter-system-will-tell-you-what-spaces-are-open-scan-your-plates

Wisconsin: Grafton police to use Flock Safety cameras installed at targeted areas:
The Flock Safety cameras use vehicle fingerprint technology to capture car details such as full, partial, or missing license plates and vehicle make and model.
https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northshore/news/grafton/2021/06/02/grafton-police-use-camera-system-flock-safety-reduce-crime/7496897002/

July

Flock Safety Raises $150M to put more license plate readers in cities:
https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/series-d-fundraise-andreessen-horowitz/

BriefCam’s “Business Case Assessment” Accelerates Facial Recognition And License Plate Recognition:
“Accelerate video investigation based on object classification filters, including object type, size, direction, speed, as well as appearance similarity, face matching, and license plate recognition. Alert on critical events such as suspicious behaviors and long queues, and drive real-time assessment and response.”
https://www.briefcam.com/company/press-releases/briefcam-business-case-assessment-helps-video-analytics-users-identify-how-to-realize-value-from-video/

Genetec (facial recognition, license plate readers) recognized as fastest growing company:
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/07/19/2264934/0/en/New-Omdia-report-recognizes-Genetec-as-fastest-growing-access-control-software-provider-in-the-world.html

IvedaMobile app uses facial recognition to ID people and license plate readers:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/iveda-launches-ai-based-ivedamobile-123000207.html

License Plate Reader Company Rekor Systems Faces Swarm Of Fraud Lawsuits:
https://thenewspaper.com/news/70/7065.asp?fbclid=IwAR0ILgfMeHhICtYfmmUcd_sbINVj5ZC6MXkfQJMoBmVk1yuFO-wOoXIKVq4

Oklahoma Officials Use COVID To Create Statewide Vehicle Surveillance Programs Run By Rekor Systems:
https://massprivatei.blogspot.com/2021/04/officials-use-covid-to-create-statewide.html?q=Rekor+Systems

Over-reliance on fees, traffic fines, and forfeitures is the wrong way to fund police depts:
“Hundreds of law enforcement agencies and local governments across the US rely significantly on fines, fees, and property forfeitures to fund their budgets, which has been and will continue to be a recipe for disaster. For many communities, this results in substantial fines, heavy parking citations, multiplying speed enforcement zones, and over-investment in technology such as traffic cameras and license plate readers to collect even more revenue.”
https://www.governing.com/now/the-right-and-wrong-way-to-fund-the-police

Tennessee: Shelby County Sheriff’s office says Flock Safety license plate readers help reduce crimes:
https://www.wreg.com/news/shelby-county-sheriffs-office-says-new-cameras-helping-reduce-crimes/

Texas: Shenandoah considers purchasing ELSAG license plate reader system:
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/neighborhood/woodlands/article/Shenandoah-considers-new-license-plate-reader-16317834.php
https://www.leonardocompany-us.com/lpr

August

Rhode Island: Cranston, Pawtucket, and Woonsocket police install multiple Flock Safety license plate readers:
https://turnto10.com/news/local/numerous-police-departments-will-hold-a-briefing-on-license-plate-reader-camera-program

Virgina: Richmond police to install license plate readers near minority neighborhoods; critics say it’s invasive:
https://richmond.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/richmond-police-to-install-license-plate-readers-near-minority-neighborhoods-critics-say-its-invasive/article_2fd04e26-2ec3-5c24-8c15-b64a0b152f48.html

Georgia: How the Augusta police used 13 Flock Safety license plate readers to solve ONE crime:
https://www.augustachronicle.com/story/news/2021/07/26/how-augusta-ga-using-flock-safety-license-plate-readers-solve-crime-richmond-county-sheriffs-office/8070006002/

Louisiana: Monroe Police to use 15 more license plate readers:
https://www.knoe.com/2021/08/12/monroe-police-getting-more-license-plate-scanners/

Florida: Coral Gables Installs “Ekin Spotter V2” Smart City Surveillance Poles (Facial Recognition/License Plate Readers):
The AI-powered technology consolidated into the city’s pilot project includes public free Wi-Fi, CCTV, traffic, and safety sensors (vehicles, pedestrian, multimodal, speed, red-light, public safety, situational awareness), environmental sensors (air quality, noise, weather), computer vision and AI IoT edge analytics and alerts.
https://thefloridavillager.com/2021/07/29/coral-gables-installs-first-ai-powered-ekin-smart-city-pole-technology-in-the-u-s/
https://evogov.s3.amazonaws.com/media/91/media/3805ab79-78d2-42ce-8700-8a2617e5c51e.pdf
https://ekin.com/en/ekin-face
https://ekin.com/en/ekin-automatic-number-plate-recognition-system

Illinois Governor Claims 200 Highway License Plate Readers Will Stop Murderers:
“This investment in expressway cameras further strengthens the Illinois State Police’s ability to hold violent offenders accountable and fulfill our obligation to help all Illinois residents live safely,” Gov. Pritzker said in the release. “Our roadways should be connections between communities, and not crime scenes, and the ISP will offer the additional support necessary to local law enforcement in Chicago to protect traveling residents.”
https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/article_54a4725f-47f1-5ba0-9333-bf74f5de9aeb.html
https://www2.illinois.gov/IISNews/22792-IDOT_ISP_Press_Release.pdf

Texas Police use solar-powered Flock Safety license plate readers:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/solar-powered-license-plate-cameras-help-fort-worth-police-track-cars-make-arrests/ar-AAND2RQ

California: Hesperia to buy more license plate reading cameras; residents voice concern about ‘Big Brother’:
https://www.vvdailypress.com/story/news/2021/07/25/hesperia-buy-more-license-plate-readers-despite-privacy-concerns/8075958002/

Automatic License Plate Reader Company (Rekor Systems) Acquires Waycare:
https://www.rekor.ai/post/rekor-systems-to-acquire-waycare-technologies-ltd

September

License Plate Readers Use Footage from Ring, Smartphones, and ATMs to ID Vehicles:
https://massprivatei.blogspot.com/2021/09/license-plate-readers-use-footage-from.html

NYPD tracks millions of vehicles across NYC:
“Every day, the NYPD collects roughly 3.6 million license plate numbers and their locations, using hundreds of scanning devices throughout the city, said a police officer Vaccaro deposed in 2016.”
https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/ny-hit-and-run-arrest-closure-nypd-20210912-qh3gzweerjcsneoa3lzcatuyxi-story.html

Phase Two of Schenectady, New York Smart City Program Begins (ShotSpotter/License Plate Readers):
https://dailygazette.com/2021/09/16/next-wave-of-led-streetlights-being-installed-in-schenectady-smart-city-program/

Oakland Police Department’s “Domain Awareness Center” gives the FBI “unfettered access” to license plate reader data:
Catherine Crump, a clinical professor of law at UC Berkeley, said the privacy advisory commission was mainly established in response to citizens’ outrage over a $10.9 million citywide surveillance system called the “domain awareness center.”
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2021/09/04/oakland-police-give-fbi-unfettered-access-to-license-plate-reader-data-according-to-lawsuit/

Domain Awareness Center:
https://www.oaklandca.gov/resources/dac-draft-privacy-policy-public-comments

Chula Vista, CA Police Department Is Building A Real-Time Crime Center:
In December, the Chula Vista Police Department asked the City Council to waive the city’s traditional bidding process and sign a contract with Motorola Solutions “to create situational awareness” by bringing “disparate systems and data” — including camera feeds, dispatch, and mapping software, jail records, drones, and license plate readers — “into a single interface.”
https://www.kpbs.org/news/2021/sep/08/chula-vista-building-real-time-crime-center/

Rhode Island ACLU Calls on Cities to Halt License Plate Reader Program, Citing Privacy Concerns:
https://riaclu.org/en/news/aclu-calls-cranston-pawtucket-and-woonsocket-halt-alpr-camera-program

Tennessee: Spring Hill Police to begin new street camera pilot surveillance program (Flock Safety license plate readers):
https://www.columbiadailyherald.com/story/news/2021/09/09/spring-hill-police-begin-new-street-camera-pilot-program/5767249001/

Ohio: Macedonia and Northfield Village Install Flock Safety License Plate Readers:
https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2021/09/02/macedonia-northfield-first-summit-county-automated-license-plate-reader/5580216001/

Illinois: Libertyville Police Department installing 5 Flock Safety license plate readers:
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20210908/libertyville-police-planning-license-plate-readers-at-five-locations

October

Flock Safety’s License Plate Readers Equipped With “Raven” Alert Police When It Detects Crime-Related Noises (Gunshots, Glass Breaking, Tires Screeching):
https://www.govtech.com/biz/exclusive-flock-safety-reveals-gunshot-sensors-tied-to-cameras
https://www.flocksafety.com/raven/

Police place secret notes in license plate reader systems:
“While in the parking lot, Officer Patrick Myers ran a license plate of a vehicle through the system. The system contains notes made by other officers. Officers can indicate in the notes if people other than the registered owner drive a given vehicle and can include that driver’s license number and social security number in the notes.  The notes on the vehicle at issue indicated several people other than the registered owner drove the vehicle.” (Page 4)
https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/9/2021/2021-Ohio-3584.pdf

Georgia: Police union president proposes license plate readers to safety committee:
http://www.galtheraldonline.com/news/officer-proposes-license-plate-readers-to-safety-committee/article_63a08c40-31d8-11ec-a596-4b3c670da947.html

Ohio: Medina City Council considers upgraded Flock Safety license plate readers:
https://www.cleveland.com/brunswicksun/2021/10/medina-city-council-discusses-new-license-plate-reader-program.html

Illinois: Police install 35 Flock Safety license plate cameras on Kalamazoo streets:
“The city of Kalamazoo is not alone in utilizing the technology. Others across the country, from privately owned apartment complexes to law enforcement agencies, have also started using similar technology.”
https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2021/10/35-police-run-cameras-capturing-license-plate-photos-on-kalamazoo-streets.html

New Orleans Police Department Wants To Use $1M in COVID Relief Funds To Purchase 150 License Plate Readers:
“The New Orleans City Council is now considering a request from the NOPD for 1 million dollars to purchase 150 license plate readers, to be deployed across the city.”
https://www.fox8live.com/2021/10/20/nopd-goes-after-one-million-dollars-license-plate-reading-cameras/

License plate readers now in NOPD vehicles, ‘covert’ areas:
https://www.nola.com/news/crime_police/article_11007b94-fa0e-568b-9e12-fa9f0ed5e863.html

California: Activists Sue Marin County Sheriff for Illegally Sharing Drivers’ License Plate Data With ICE, CBP, and Other Out-of-State Agencies:
https://www.eff.org/press/releases/california-activists-sue-marin-county-sheriff-illegally-sharing-drivers-license-plate
https://www.courthousenews.com/northern-california-sheriff-sued-for-sharing-license-plate-data-with-immigration-authorities/

California: Concord police could equip surveillance drones with facial recognition and license plate readers:
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/10/flight-concord-drones

California: Santa Clara County approves Los Altos Hills license plate reader policy:
https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/somewhat-reluctantly-county-approves-hills-license-plate-reader-policy/article_d5430cb2-22d1-11ec-80d9-f70f885ee92c.html

November

Flock Safety license plate scanners were supposed to bring peace of mind. Instead they tore the neighborhood apart:
Her neighbors kept sending around videos from the cameras installed in their doorbells, windows, and roof overhangs: a thief rifling through a truck; a stranger walking along a property line; a video of gunshots — or was it a car backfiring? — somewhere out in the dim moonlight. “You would think we were living in a war zone,” said Lawrence, 55. “We have neighbors who have fortressed their houses in Ring cameras, and it’s gotten them nowhere — and nothing, except this false sense of panic. It creeps me out,” former Paradise Hills board member Michele Lawrence said. Camera supporters griped that opponents were naive, penny-pinching Luddites standing in the way of community progress. And the critics complained that they were being transformed into a surveillance state thanks largely to one board member notorious for repeatedly — and, to them, unnecessarily — calling the police.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/10/22/crime-suburbs-license-plate-readers/
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20211024/10005347808/license-plate-reader-company-continues-expansion-into-private-neighborhoods-with-help-some-useful-cops.shtml

Michigan: Justice Assistance Grant to fund installation of 5 Flock license plate readers throughout Dearborn Heights:
https://www.pressandguide.com/2021/11/17/dearborn-heights-city-council-approves-police-chiefs-license-plate-reader-request/

New Mexico: Española police use of Flock Safety license plate-readers raises questions of privacy:
https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/espa-ola-police-use-of-license-plate-reading-technology-raises-questions-of-privacy/article_b8369d64-3b27-11ec-851b-bfe2b3c50ca2.html

December

Flock Safety Can Now  Detect Gunshots And Broadcast AMBER Alerts:
https://www.govtech.com/biz/exclusive-flock-safety-reveals-gunshot-sensors-tied-to-cameras
https://www.flocksafety.com/raven/
https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/amber-alerts-partnership/

Flock Safety License plate reader use expanding in local neighborhoods leading to privacy concerns:
https://abc3340.com/news/local/license-plate-reader-use-expanding-in-local-neighborhoods-leading-to-privacy-concerns

Utility companies will no longer share data with ICE — but many loopholes remain:
“Selling personal information that people provide to sign up for power, water and other necessities of life, and giving them no choice in the matter, is an egregious abuse of consumers’ privacy,” Sen. Ron Wyden wrote. “… The personal privacy of hundreds of millions of people should not depend upon the goodwill of corporations worried about negative headlines.” Government authorities have used private databases of cellphone location records, license plate reader sightings, and facial recognition scans to pursue or investigate people without a warrant.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/12/08/utility-data-government-tracking/
https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/9/22826271/utilities-ice-data-sharing-thomson-wyden

Facial recognition company VSBLTY and 911inform to automatically detect potential threats in real-time:
“The VSBLTY/911inform combined technology provides a custom protection layer around the clients’ facilities to automatically detect potential threats allowing local security teams to react to a situation before it becomes an emergency. This combined solution gives insight and awareness in real-time, along with detailed building floor plans to provide hyper-relevant data to onsite security and first responders. The joint solution uses artificial intelligence to provide onsite personnel and local authorities with vital information such as weapons detection, facial recognition, license plate recognition, and vehicle loitering to improve response times. The AI system can also send notifications to security for further evaluation and escalation. The system can then automatically lock down the building, lock doors, activate strobes, page overhead, and provide first responders with temporary access to security cameras for real-time viewing of the situation.”
https://vsblty.net/news/vsblty-911inform-make-first-deployment-of-total-solutions-security-software/

Rekor Systems Creates “Rekor Blue” Smartphone License Plate Readers:
“[O]nce the app is installed, users download or connect to a hotlist of license plates of interest using their Rekor Blue-equipped smartphone, then use the smartphone’s camera to scan license plates that come into view. The license plate data is extracted from the camera view and compared against the hotlist in real-time. The software alerts the user of any hotlist matches without the need to “phone home” and compare the data against a remote hotlist.”
https://www.police1.com/police-products/police-technology/publicsafetysoftware/articles/lpr-in-the-palm-of-your-hand-theres-an-app-for-that-AeBM2KtlzPWiOTRP/
https://www.openalpr.com/software/blue

Tennessee: Nashville’s police oversight board votes to oppose license plate readers:
https://wpln.org/post/nashvilles-police-oversight-board-votes-to-oppose-license-plate-readers/

Illinois: Springfield moving closer to installing 83 Flock Safety license plate cameras throughout city:
https://newschannel20.com/news/local/springfield-moving-closer-to-installing-license-plate-cameras-throughout-city

Illinois: Champaign up next to consider license-plate readers:
https://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/courts-police-fire/champaign-up-next-to-consider-license-plate-readers/article_9e16b604-28d8-51b3-b997-ae00c92544a9.html

Illinois: Champaign County installed 7 license plate readers within last month:
https://foxillinois.com/news/local/champaign-county-installed-license-plate-readers-within-last-month

Illinois: Flock Safety license plate readers and ShotSpotter spread across the state:
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/license-plate-reading-cameras-proliferate-across-illinois/article_56bffd1a-5471-11ec-908a-d3203eb818e9.html

Indiana: Multiple law enforcement agencies have installed Flock Safety license plate readers:
https://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/multiple-indiana-law-enforcement-agencies-installed-new-license-plate-technology

Porter County, IN approves license plate reader:
https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/porter-county-approves-license-plate-reader/article_23aa00d9-cce7-5974-9dc5-f678435654b6.html

New Mexico: Milan using Flock Safety license plate readers to allegedly solve crimes:
https://www.koat.com/article/license-plate-scan-fight-crime-new-mexico/38382514

San Jose, CA city council exploits smash and grab robberies to justify installing license plate readers:
“Asst. Chief Joseph added that LPRs privately funded by the management of Grand Century Mall in east San Jose. A south San Jose neighborhood has installed privately-funded LPRs, mounting them on residential buildings.”
https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2021/12/01/san-jose-approves-license-plate-readers-in-effort-to-stop-smash-and-grab-robberies/

Should San Jose, CA Spend a Quarter-Million on More Automatic License Plate Readers?:
https://www.sanjoseinside.com/news/should-san-jose-spend-a-quarter-million-on-more-automatic-license-plate-readers/

Los Angeles’ Melrose Avenue neighborhood group to install license plate readers over crime worries:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/melrose-avenue-neighborhood-group-to-install-license-plate-readers-over-crime-worries/ar-AARze5P

 

Joe Cadillic is a former private investigator and a member of the Digital Fourth, Boston chapter. He is a privacy/civil rights advocate blogger with over 4 million hits.

The opinions expressed in posts to the NMA Blog belong to the author and do not necessarily represent the National Motorists Association. The content of the NMA Blog is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal advice. No representations are made regarding the accuracy of NMA Blog posts or links found within those posts.

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