Keywaylock
English
English Spanish Portuguese
MENU
  • Transportation
  • Truck
  • Suv
  • New energy
  • Sedan
  • Minivan
  • Coupe
  • Hatchback
Home > New energy > What you should know about those license plate readers popping up in neighborhoods

What you should know about those license plate readers popping up in neighborhoods

Next time you're driving through a Louisville suburb, pay attention to the street poles — they may be watching you.

A growing number of neighborhoods in the East End are joining thousands of others across the U.S. to purchase license plate cameras that snap pictures of any vehicle that goes down their streets.

They also take pictures of faces as well.

Subdivisions such as Polo Fields and The Woods of St. Thomas swear by them, saying they've helped cut down on car break-ins and porch pirates.

More:Crime stopper or 'nosy neighbor'? Suburban Louisville license plate cameras are watching you

Here's what you should know about the technology and the concerns around it:

How do license plate readers work?

The solar-powered, motion-activated cameras snap pictures showing the license plates and other identifying features of every vehicle that enters the neighborhood, or any person or bicycle that happens to be nearby when the recording starts.

From a laptop, those time-stamped images can be pulled up of each vehicle's make, model, color and license plate.

The images are available in a searchable database available to the neighborhood group paying for service.

What you should know about those license plate readers popping up in neighborhoods

How much do license plate readers cost?

Prices vary. The Polo Fields neighborhood association is paying $2,000 a year per camera to Flock Safety, an Atlanta-based company that markets automated license plate readers to communities and police departments across the country.

The subdivision has six cameras guarding its entrances.

What's the concern about license plate readers?

The fear is this: Big Brother is watching you.

Civil liberties and privacy advocates say the cameras unnecessarily invade people's privacy.

And that power can be abused, particularly when plate readers are in the hands of neighborhood groups and homeowner’s associations that lack the training or public accountability of law enforcement agencies.

Do license plate readers deter crime?

Depends on who you ask. Some neighborhoods swear by them, and companies that sell them say they have the stats to back up their effectiveness.

Police believed she was driving a stolen car based on a Rekor Systems automated license plate reader hit, but it was a mistake, The Tennessean reported.

Two months earlier, the woman, who drove a 2012 white Dodge Journey SUV, was involved in a car accident the same night a white Dodge Avenger — a sedan — was stolen. The same officer took both reports that night and mistakenly included the Dodge Journey tag information with the stolen vehicle report.

Before confronting the woman, officers noticed a “mismatch” of the plate to the car but continued anyway. A spokesperson with the department told The Tennessean it “isn’t unusual” for the plate not to match the car.

Have police misused license plate readers?

Law enforcement agencies have also been caught abusing the technology:

Jonathan Bullington is an investigative reporter. Reach him at: 502-582-4241; JBullington@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @jrbullington.

Kala Kachmar is an investigative reporter. Reach her at 502-582-4469; kkachmar@courierjournal.com or @NewsQuip on Twitter. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/subscribe.

Mike Trautmann: 502-582-7081; mtrautmann@gannett.com; Twitter: @CJNewsDirector. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe.

  • Keywaylock
  • 07/01/2023
  • 242 Views
Related Articles
Solar Rollers competition teaches Summit students how to build and race remote-controlled cars Support Local Journalism
Solar Rollers competition teaches Summit students how to build and race remote-controlled cars Support Local Journalism

10/04/2023 ,334 Views

A group of Summit High School students is getting ready to compete in the Solar Rollers competition, which brings together high school teams from across Colorado to build and race solar-powered, remot...

Tesla Model Pi Smartphone 2023 Release Date, Phone Price, Revealed!!! : Source Confirms it has Satellite Link?
Tesla Model Pi Smartphone 2023 Release Date, Phone Price, Revealed!!! : Source Confirms it has Satellite Link?

09/04/2023 ,250 Views

Yes, you read that correctly! Tesla may be developing the smartphone of the future. The image, which was obtained by user “GENIE,” reveals that Tesla will enter the fast-paced smartphone industry soon...

Local student to compete in John P. Ellbogen $50K Entrepreneurship Competition April 22-23
Local student to compete in John P. Ellbogen $50K Entrepreneurship Competition April 22-23

08/04/2023 ,206 Views

Eight student-led teams will vie for seed prize money to get their business plans off the ground in the John P. Ellbogen $50K Entrepreneurship Competition at the University of Wyoming.The competition...

Most Popular
  • SUV and Pickup Truck Drivers More Likely to Hit Pedestrians When Turning, IIHS Study Finds
  • Best Car Covers for 2022
  • 2023 BMW X7 Facelift Arrives With A New Look, Added Power
  • Sponsored Content Sponsored Content | Sponsored: The 2022 Kia Carnival SX Prestige Edition Minivan
  • Solar Rollers competition teaches Summit students how to build and race remote-controlled cars Support Local Journalism
  • Ford’s base $40,000 F-150 Lightning electric pickup gets 230-miles of EPA range and 68 MPGe Guides
  • James Ruppert: Bargain barnstormers that will take you anywhere
Navigation Lists
  • How do license plate readers work?
  • How much do license plate readers cost?
  • What's the concern about license plate readers?
  • Do license plate readers deter crime?
  • Have police misused license plate readers?
Back to Top

Copyright © 2023 keywaylock.net. All rights reserved.