TRI In The News

License Plate Readers Prompt Privacy Concerns

Charlottesville Police are utilizing new technology to take photos of thousands of area license plates. The technology allows police to read a vehicle's license plate and determine whether the car has been stolen or is connected to a crime. However, critics say the new procedure could lean to a violation of 4th amendment rights.


The Charlottesville Police Department is one of several agencies in Virginia testing out the capabilities of license plate readers. Although, only one cruiser currently is equipped with the $17,000 piece of technology.

Devices mounted on the back of the cruiser scan license plates as drivers whiz by. Each morning, an officer loads updated information from a Virginia State Police database into the car's computer, which then alerts the driver when the license plate of a passerby matches one listed in the database.

Charlottesville Police have already made two arrests using the license plate readers, which were purchased through federal grant money.

"With this license plate reader, it scans all the cars so the officer doesn't have to try to remember every stolen car, which is not possible, and then try to see if that car is driving down the street," said Lt. Gary Pleasants.

Critics say that while Charlottesville Police aren't recording information, law enforcement in other states are keeping track, which they say is a violation of privacy. Opponents say the 4th amendment only allows police to run license plates if they have probable cause.

"By just surveying everybody's license plate, what you're saying is everybody's a suspect. That completely, by this form of technology, undermines the 4th amendment," said John Whitehead, of the Rutherford Institute.

Police say the license plate reader technology is still being tested. They're hopeful it will end up garnering wider approval, and that the department can purchase more units in the future.