CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — In light of recent controversy regarding the use of Flock Safety cameras in Franklin County and the use of similar license plate reading technology, the Chambersburg Police Department has issued a statement regarding the technology’s use within the borough.
The statement, in part, reads: “In light of recent public discourse regarding Automated License Plate Reader technology, we want to provide the community with clear answers about how we use this tool, how it works and the safeguards in place to prevent misuse.
“With Borough Council approval, CPD first deployed ALPRs in 2016 through Motorola Solutions. Motorola has remained our sole vendor. We currently operate fixed ALPRs at three locations and plan to add two more locations in the coming months. We also utilize six mobile ALPRs deployed across our patrol fleet.”
The statement noted these devices take “moment-in-time photos” of passing vehicles and their license plates, recording the date, time and a basic vehicle description.
· They do not record live-stream video.
· They do not identify vehicle occupants or items inside vehicles.
· They do not utilize biometrics or facial recognition.
Because a significant number of crimes involve a vehicle, the devices “are transformative for community safety,” police said. “They help officers locate wanted individuals, generate investigative leads, find missing or endangered persons and recover stolen vehicles.”
The department has used the license plate-reading system in more than 500 criminal investigations since its inception in 2016, the police statement said.
Public safety and civil liberties go hand in hand, the statement said, so there are safeguards, including:
· Verification Required: A license plate ID hit alone is not probable cause for arrest or enforcement action. Officers must independently verify the authenticity through law enforcement databases before taking action.
· Justified Access: System inquiries are tracked and limited to legitimate law enforcement purposes. Officers must input an associated report number and a clear description of the reason for their search to query the system. Any misuse would result in departmental discipline and possible criminal violations.
· Auditing: An assigned supervisor conducts monthly audits of the system to monitor for misuse.
The complete policy for the department’s use of these readers is available to the public in the “About Us” section on the department website, the statement said.
