It is time for the public to slow down, take a deep breath, and get the facts straight about the use of automated license plate readers, also known as Flock cameras. A lot of false information has flooded the news media and social media about the information gathered by Flock cameras.
If all the “anti-Flockians” were truly concerned about their privacy, they would be protesting the following businesses and devices that capture images of them and their vehicles while driving or walking in public:
- Amazon Alexa devices and your cell phones are listening to your conversations and sending you advertisements about products you were discussing in private. This information is then shared with third parties to promote sales.
- A significant portion of homes are now equipped with surveillance cameras and/or Ring doorbells that capture your vehicle as you drive or walk by the house or outside in your yard.
- The majority of businesses (Lowes, Home Depot, Target, Walmart, etc.) are equipped with ALPRs that capture a photograph of your vehicle and the license plate displayed on the vehicle. This is an important tool in reducing the ever-increasing amount of theft from businesses in America.
- Kroger and Walmart stores have extensive surveillance equipment recording your photo even when scanning purchases at the self-checkout registers.
- School buses are equipped with cameras inside the bus and outside the bus to record vehicles passing the buses against the law.
Once again, where is all the public outrage if you were truly concerned about your privacy?
Now, there is growing outrage regarding ALPRs that are designed to assist law enforcement in identifying criminals who have kidnapped your children or grandchildren;
stolen your car; raped your daughter or granddaughter; broken into your home; killed a member of your family; or a member of your family suffering from dementia out driving around aimlessly.
We live in the new age of technology, and it is imperative that law enforcement is equipped with the necessary tools and not be required to perform their duties in the Stone Age. Automated license plate readers have become the most useful tool in law enforcement today. Crimes that used to take weeks or months to solve can now be solved in a matter of days. Captured images of the vehicle and license plate displayed are only one piece of evidence and still require a thorough follow-up criminal investigation.
Here are the facts about the data collected by Flock cameras that have been in use for years:
- The cameras capture images of the rear of vehicles; license plate displayed on the vehicle; and records the date, time, and location where image was captured.
- Flock cameras alert officers of stolen or wanted vehicles used in a crime; alert officers of missing or endangered people.
- The cameras do not record video; cell phone data; speed of the vehicle; take photos of the driver or occupants; nor do they provide information to third parties.
- Images recorded are deleted after 30 days, unless there is an ongoing investigation involving a specific vehicle and license plate. The data is protected with restricted access by personnel of the specific law enforcement agency.
There are guardrails and safeguards in place to document who conducted a search of the database and in relation to a specific case or incident number. Most law enforcement agencies have implemented stringent policies for the use of the Flock database along with auditing protocols to ensure the integrity of the most useful tool in law enforcement.
Yes, we have all heard of law enforcement accessing the database for a non-legitimate purpose. However, those incidents pale in comparison to the thousands of cases solved with the arrest and prosecution of the criminal or locating a significant number of missing individuals driving about with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
It is imperative that agencies have guardrails and restrictions in place to identify inappropriate usage by officers, and they should be terminated and criminally prosecuted for their actions.
The photos of the vehicle and license plate displayed are recorded on a public roadway where there is no expectation of privacy.
The individuals who are protesting Flock cameras suffer from the Dunning-Kruger effect. It is a cognitive bias where people with low ability or limited knowledge in a specific area tend to overestimate their own competence and skills. In short, people do not know what they do not know, and they cannot evaluate thoughts and performance objectively.
It is time for them to open their minds and get the facts straight.
Dennis M. Luken lives in Batavia.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Flock cameras aren't the privacy threat critics claim | Opinion
