Connecticut Towns Deploy License Plate Readers on School Buses Amid Privacy Concerns
Several towns across Connecticut, including Vernon, Bridgeport, Danbury, Shelton, Stratford, North Haven, and New Haven, are installing AI-powered license plate readers on school buses through contracts with the company BusPatrol. These cameras are designed to activate only when a school bus is stopped with its warning lights and stop arm engaged, capturing footage of motorists illegally passing the bus. The recordings are then provided to local law enforcement for enforcement. This initiative follows a 2024 law change that granted municipalities more authority to establish video monitoring systems and issue fines for such violations. New Haven, which implemented the technology earlier this year on over 300 buses, has already recorded 12,000 incidents. Vernon's police chief, Marc Petruzzi, stated the cameras aim to prevent tragedies, noting nearly 100 incidents were caught in the first three days of their program.