The Central Ohio Chiefs Association understands why residents ask important questionsabout license plate reader technology.
Communities deserve to know whether these systems enhance public safety while protecting individual privacy. Those are reasonable expectations, and law enforcement agencies have a responsibility to address them openly and transparently.
From our perspective, license plate reader technology is not about expanding surveillance. It is about providing law enforcement with a tool that can help solve serious crimes more efficiently while operating within clearly defined legal and ethical boundaries.
When a child goes missing, when investigators are working to identify
vehicles connected to human trafficking, or when families are seeking answers following a fatal hit-and-run crash, every minute matters. Technology that can generate timely investigative leads in these critical situations deserves careful consideration.
At the same time, support for these tools must be accompanied by strong safeguards and meaningful accountability.
Public trust depends on clear policies that govern how and when license plate reader data may be accessed and used. Communities should expect transparency regarding authorized use, comprehensive auditing of system activity, robust data security measures, limited data retention periods and appropriate oversight to ensure compliance with established standards.
Across the country, law enforcement agencies have credited license plate reader programs with helping improve investigative outcomes and recover victims more quickly. At the same time, privacy advocates have rightly emphasized the need for safeguards that protect civil liberties and ensure that technology is used responsibly. Both perspectives contribute to an important and necessary public conversation.
The question should not be whether law enforcement receives every tool it requests. Rather, the question should be whether a tool delivers a measurable public benefit, operates within clearly defined limits and earns the trust and confidence of the community it serves.
As police leaders, our responsibility extends beyond reducing crime.
We are entrusted with protecting both public safety and individual rights. These objectives are not mutually exclusive. When implemented responsibly, transparently and with appropriate oversight, license plate reader technology can help advance both.
Hilliard police Chief Michael Woods, president, Central Ohio Chiefs Association
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: License plate readers help us solve crimes. This isn't about surveillance | police chiefs
