Modern law enforcement agencies use a number of technologies to help them do their jobs. Among them is automated license plate recognition (ALPR) — a high-tech way of scanning and reading license plates in public places and checking them against hotlists to help police locate cars sought in connection with crimes. Public safety agencies cite numerous examples in which both real-time and historical information obtained from ALPRs has helped to solve crimes, including stolen cars, missing persons and even murder cases. But others have questioned the practice, citing privacy concerns. What kind of data is collected? Who has access to it? How long is it kept?
Debates are heating up across the country, with laws pending in 15 states in the current legislative session. Our map takes a look at those states, and states with laws now on the books pertaining to ALPR systems.
In the map above, orange indicates states with laws on the books and additional laws pending; purple indicates the states with ALPR laws but no pending legislation; and blue states have no laws on the books, but legislation is pending.
This article was originally published by Government Technology.
Noelle Knell is the executive editor for e.Republic, responsible for setting the overall direction for e.Republic’s editorial platforms, including Government Technology, Governing, Industry Insider, Emergency Management and the Center for Digital Education. She has been with e.Republic since 2011, and has decades of writing, editing and leadership experience. A California native, Noelle has worked in both state and local government, and is a graduate of the University of California, Davis, with majors in political science and American history.
