Automated License Plate Readers in Virginia
By: John Peaden
Cameras are ubiquitous. You speed through a traffic light near Washington, D.C. and receive a speeding ticket in the mail. You drive through an EZ Pass Lane and get a photo captured of your car which then bills your account.
Unbeknownst to most, however, is that 167 law enforcement agencies across Virginia are now using public-facing surveillance technology such as Automatic License Plate Readers (“ALPR”) and gunshot listening devices.[1] ALPRs collect and retain data on a vast number of vehicles, regardless of whether the driver or any occupants are engaged in criminal activity.[2] This data can be used to track a vehicle in real time or analyzed to identify individual movements and patterns of behavior.[3]