Just weeks ago, a Flock Safety automated license plate reader stood on a Santa Barbara street. Now, the camera is gone.
The change comes as the Santa Barbara City Council reviews the city’s use of automated license plate readers, technology that has drawn support from residents who say it can aid public safety, as well as concerns over privacy and how the information could be used.
For Santa Babara resident Miguel Torres, the debate is personal.
“This street is very dangerous. It’s been seven months since I was hit by a car,” he said.
Torres said automated license plate readers can give police another tool to help protect people on city streets.
“It’s protection for people. They shouldn’t have taken it out,” he said.
The Santa Barbara Police Department has used automated license plate readers to identify vehicles and assist with investigations.
The city council recently voted 5-2 to review the city’s license plate reader policy before determining how to move forward.
The decision follows the city’s choice not to renew its contract with Flock Safety or enter into a new agreement with Verkada, another company that provides automated license plate reader technology.
The cameras capture license plate information and other vehicle data that can be used by law enforcement. Their use has also raised questions about privacy and whether information collected locally could be accessed or used for purposes beyond local policing.
Jim Egan, a Santa Barbara resident, said the current political climate has made him concerned about how the technology could potentially be used.
“With the climate in this country right now, I think people could assume these would be used for other purposes, i.e. ICE issues,” Egan said, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Egan said he believes those concerns will continue as long as broader questions remain about the use of such technology.
“I think until something changes in this country, it adds fuel to the fire,” he said.
The city’s existing policy includes restrictions governing how license plate reader information can be used.
Now, council members are reviewing those rules as they consider what the city’s license plate reader program could look like in the future.
