Earlier this month, the Township Council approved a $170,000 contract with Gold Type Business Machines for the purchase of license plate reader cameras (LPRs). These cameras will be installed at specific thruways leading out of Livingston, in an effort to help combat the rash of car thefts that have occurred in town in recent years. Auto theft is certainly an issue, with over 100 cars stolen in Livingston in the past three years (and it must be noted that most, but not all, of them were unlocked with the key fobs left in them).
Livingston Police Chief Gary Marshuetz has specifically cited these readers as a critical component in cracking down on these thefts. And when used properly, they can do just that. By tracking the stolen car through its plate number as it exits town, it is easier to locate the vehicle and suspects involved.
But, if used for more than that, this type of technology can also become an invasion of privacy. Without the proper rules in place, license plate readers could potentially be used for mass location tracking and surveillance, an issue that has been brought up by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
The ACLU has called for “the adoption of legislation and law enforcement agency policies adhering to strict privacy principles to prevent the government from tracking our movements on a massive scale,” and we support this stance.
When approving the purchase of the readers, township attorney Jarrid Kantor noted that the privacy concerns are being taken seriously, and that the Livingston Police Department is following state directives on what information to collect and how long to store it before it is deleted.
According to the latest guidelines from the state Attorney General’s Office, departments using LPRs must have a trained LPR coordinator, and searches of the database must be limited to reports of stolen vehicles, missing persons, or Amber and Silver alerts. Vehicles involved in crimes, suspicious activity, or expired registrations may also be added to the system’s BOLO (be on the lookout) list. Crucially, data may be stored for up to three years, down from the previous guideline of five years, after which time it must be deleted.
Town or police officials should more directly explain these details to the public, as well as whether or not they are enforcing any additional guidelines or requirements. The Council should consider drafting its own resolution on what should be permitted and how long the data that is collected is stored before it is destroyed in Livingston.
Having spoken with members of the police department about this issue, we understand why license plate readers can be a useful tool to combat auto thefts. We just hope that there will be publicly-shared guardrails in place to protect the privacy of all residents.
