Slippery Rock rejects renewal of automatic license plate readers as concerns mount nationwide
The presence of more than 100 automatic license plate readers scattered across Butler County is bringing a nationwide issue into focus for residents.
According to DeFlock, a crowdsourced map of automated license plate readers (ALPRs), as of Thursday, Aug. 20, Butler County has 102 readers across several municipalities. The largest concentration exists in Cranberry Township, where 71 registered readers are located. Evans City and Slippery Rock boroughs are home to eight registered readers each. The City of Butler has four.
The devices — especially one brand, Flock Safety — have raised concerns regarding the constitutionality of their surveillance and the ease of accessing data collected by them.
ALPRs capture images of vehicles and use optical character recognition to extract license plate numbers. Collected data is processed for use by law enforcement or other entities with access to the cameras.
The high-resolution cameras are sometimes paired with infrared illuminators. Together, the technology captures clear images of license plates under all kinds of weather and lighting conditions. When located at fixed points like tolls, traffic lights or businesses, they can also scan moving traffic.
Typically, once an image is captured, the system uses software to convert the visual information into machine-readable text for quicker identification. That information can then be used to cross-reference with databases that store vehicle registration, stolen vehicle reports, active warrants or vehicles tagged by law enforcement with a be-on-the-lookout designation.
When a match is found, authorities are notified in real time.
ALPRs store metadata — date, time, GPS location and camera ID — that can be used for other purposes, such as traffic analysis, parking enforcement or investigative purposes.
It’s this storing of metadata that has some privacy experts speaking out about the use of these cameras.
In response to documented cases of misuse of its cameras by some in law enforcement, Flock CEO Garrett Langley recently announced changes were coming to how information is accessed through Flock’s systems.
Among the changes, every search of Flock’s data must now include a case code. Flock also is reducing the default time period for stored data from 30 to seven days. Data tied to an investigation that requires more time may be preserved in a special setting called “Evidence Mode.”
In Slippery Rock, a conversation about the devices was held during the Aug. 4 borough council meeting.
According to DeFlock, the borough’s eight readers are operated by PlateSmart, not Flock Safety.
Mayor Jondavid Longo said he received resident complaints and personally believes the cameras raise Constitutionality questions.
“Beyond that conversation, I think there are ways for us to continue to support our police and policing in the way and manner in which they’ve become accustomed to without using that kind of technology,” he said at the Aug. 4 meeting.
He said the readers were the result of a grant the borough received in 2023.
“The grant also gave us new bodycams for our officers, which we love because it protects both them and the people they’re interacting with. The difference, though, is that I don’t think any of us really understood exactly how much data was being collected by the ALPRs and who has access to it,” Longo said.
Council members said they had reservations regarding the technology, ranging from the possible overstepping of privacy to saving the borough a few thousand dollars a year.
“I don’t think this is worth spending $4,000 a year in taxpayer dollars myself,” Councilman Jeff Campbell said.
Slippery Rock Borough Council then voted unanimously at a meeting Tuesday evening, Aug. 18, to not renew the borough’s contract for service for the devices.
Questions around automatic license plate readers stretch beyond Slippery Rock.
According to WPXI, a former Frazer Township, Washington County, police officer pleaded guilty to stalking his estranged wife after he used the department’s license plate reader to track her car in 2021.
However, the case in Frazer Township was not the only such incident. In August, the Washington Post reported authorities have charged or accused at least 50 law enforcement officers across the country of using license plate readers for unauthorized purposes, including to stalk women.
Butler Mayor Bob Dandoy said the city has made investments into resident safety — including the readers — but will continue to make sure they are adequately safeguarded.
“Almost all of our data stays on a secured system. We keep our security camera footage for about 30 days before it’s deleted. Automatic license plate readers are part of a larger network, so I’m not sure exactly how long, but I imagine it’s similar,” he said.
He said the city is cognizant of concerns over automatic license plate readers, but it is trying to strike a balance between safety and surveillance.
“Automatic license plate readers have been successful in helping our police solve crimes. So, it’s a very fine line we’re doing our best to walk,” he said.
Dandoy added city police tend to use equipment like security cameras and license plate readers “post-facto” to help resolve crimes once they occur.
City police Chief Bob O’Neill was also contacted regarding the devices and said in an email he did not have more to add to Dandoy’s comments.
“BCPD does not contract with Flock. We don’t have any control over their deployment or use,” his email to the Butler Eagle read.
Not all of the automatic license plate readers in the county belong to police departments or municipalities, however. Private corporations are installing them on their property as well.
The Home Depot, which operates locations in Butler and Cranberry townships, has readers at both Butler County locations. However, a spokesperson for the company said they have been used as a security measure for years.
“We've had parking area security cameras in place at our stores for many years, as many retailers do. These cameras are used solely as a security measure to prevent theft and protect the safety of our customers and associates in our stores,” the spokesperson said.
The Home Depot website also has a short FAQ entitled “immigration activity in our parking lots.” It states the company does not use its cameras to coordinate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Customs and Border Protection.
