Controversial Expansion of License Plate Readers Passes City Council

Image courtesy of David Guralnick / Detroit News

District 4 Councilwoman Latisha Johnson joined District 6 Councilwoman Gabriela Santiago-Romero last month to oppose the addition of 100 more license plate readers (LPRs) at 25 intersections in Detroit. Council approved the $5 million agreement with Motorola Solutions by a vote of 7-2.

Councilwoman Johnson said that based on the map of surveillance cameras she received from the DPD, she believed the city was already adequately covered. Councilwoman Santiago-Romero also expressed concern about how widely the information would be shared and what other agencies might get access to the data.

Many residents expressed support for the program at Council hearings on the assumption that it would be used to catch speeders. According to Detroit Police Department policy, however, the LPRs can only be used in cases of vehicle theft and violent crimes. DPD cites an 11% increase in auto theft in the past year as a justification for the expansion of the program. Currently there are license plate readers at 83 intersections in Detroit.

You can read more about the controversy surrounding the program in the Daily Kos, Bridge Detroit, Outlier Media, and ClickonDetroit. For a detailed description of how the license plate reader technology works, as well as problems with the technology, such as inaccurate readings that have led to a few false arrests, check out this article from the Independent Institute.