Image Credit: Chattanooga.gov, ClarksvilleTN.gov, Pexels & Canva.
Article by Olivia Lupia, Tennessee Conservative News –
As some municipalities in Tennessee are pulling away from license plate reader (LPR) or automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology amid robust debate and concerns rising across the state, the Chattanooga police chief and law enforcement officials in Clarksville have defended their usage, claiming they are an invaluable asset in solving crimes.
At a City Council meeting on Tuesday evening, Chattanooga Police Chief John Chambers and other members of the Chattanooga Police Department (CPD) gave a presentation detailing how LPR cameras are being used in the city, with Chambers asserting none are Flock cameras.
Chambers explained that the department uses Motorola ALPR cameras, noting some supposed differences between the version of the Motorola system CPD uses and Flock Safety technology.
“So when it comes to Motorola, that is an actual picture-taking camera. It is not a video camera. It is not a constant feed. Police cannot log in and view that camera. They do not have that capability,” he said. “License plate readers are strictly for investigative purposes only, and they cannot be used as the only piece of evidence by which to take law enforcement action, [or] as probable cause to make an arrest of some kind.”
When asked directly by a council member if the city has any Flock cameras, Chambers replied, “None. We have never procured and implemented any of those, whatever words you want to add to them to make it clear. We have not.”
And when pressed about the potential for abuse or misuse of LPRs, reports of which are becoming more common, Chambers reviewed safeguards the department supposedly has in place.
“They must log in. It’s attached to their user ID, so that we know exactly who that is that is logging in,” he explained. “And if they don’t log in at least once every 90 days, they’re automatically deactivated from the system.”
Chambers also provided examples of how the LPRs have aided officers during investigations, citing one instance where a man who was driving around naked from the waist down trying to entice juveniles into his car was identified using a combination of ALPRs and public safety cameras.
“What we do is we ensure that our policies, our practice, our training, our laws…. all support the responsible use. And we hold that individual accountable. This piece of technology, if it is used responsibly, with the proper governance, and in conjunction with what we have already established with our public safety cameras, it only will be a force multiplier. It helps us keep our community safe,” Chambers said.
According to the department the city has 41 Motorola cameras, and the department’s own ALPR guidelines confirm possession of “mobile ALPR equipment, temporary fixed ALPR trailer cameras, and access to third party ALPR data, both fixed and mobile”.
It also states the “ALPR system will be utilized as both an active crime enforcement tool as well as a passive data collection tool, which may assist investigations across all divisions.”
As with all ALPR systems, images not connected to an investigation are theoretically deleted within 90 days, per state law, and the data is hypothetically owned by CPD and merely stored in the Motorola system, but the CPD policy also states that ALPR data “collected and stored by third parties (i.e. Vigilant, Clear, and Flock) are not subject to CPD policy or T.C.A. as non-government agencies, therefore may be accessed and utilized for law enforcement purposes through proper licensing and permitted access.”
Notably, Vigilant is an LPR company purchased by Motorola in 2019, so their systems are now basically the same.
Another guideline reads, “Temporary fixed ALPR data collected will be stored on a cloud-based system managed by a third-party entity and will not be subject to the 90-day purge process.”
Since the document clearly states CPD uses such temporary fixed units, this means the data may not be being deleted as the department claims.
While city officials seemed satisfied after Chambers’ presentation, some residents’ concerns were not wholly assuaged.
“The chief highlighting there is a lot of private cameras around here, and that they’re selling their data, that was new information to me and made me a little uncomfortable. So, I’d like to see a bit more of a conversation about that,” said one woman who attended the meeting.
Meanwhile, in Middle Tennessee, Clarksville Police Department Chief Ty Burdine has also backed his city’s ALPR system which uses Motorola’s machine learning model, similar to Flock technology in that it captures and catalogues more than just isolated images of license plates.
“If you want to know one of the most impactful tools that we’ve had to leverage being so short-staffed and keeping crime low, it’s been the LPR technology,” Burdine said last month. “My job is not only to keep the city as safe as it can be, but my job is also to bring justice to families, victims.”
He also stated that as a citizen, “I don’t like cameras every single place there is. But if you look back at the data showing residential burglaries back in the day, we had lots of them. What happened when Ring cameras came up? They stopped.”
The chief further explained the theoretical safeguards and access restrictions the department has integrated, and stated that only investigators and supervisors have access, not patrol officers.
A department spokesperson said the ALPR technology has also assisted in missing person cases, recovery of stolen vehicles, and investigations involving reckless endangerment, aggravated assaults, and armed suspects. The spokesperson also reiterated the value of the LPR system amid a 40-officer vacancy in the city.
And the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) has used Flock cameras since 2021 across a network of eight stationary units and three mobile units, crediting the system with helping to solve over 60 cases as of 2024. The department confirmed that Flock Safety does have access to every camera, but maintains MCSO keeps administrative control over the network and deletes data after 30 days.
The ALPR conversation is unlikely to disappear anytime soon as more citizens are pushing back against the technology over serious privacy and safety concerns as more reports reveal that the systems or data is often not being used properly, responsibly, or sometimes even legally.
Sources:
TennesseeConservativeNews.com.
WDEF.
WDEF.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
One Response
If you’re a conservative, think about this >
The Police want License Plate Readers.
The ACLU and Los Angeles and criminals and illegals don’t want them.
Cities that have them will be safer than cities that don’t.
If you are worried about the government tracking you, stop using a cell phone and the internet, and don’t go to stores that have security cameras.