BETHEL, CT — As debate over automated license plate readers continues across Connecticut, the Bethel Police Department and town officials are seeking to reassure residents about how the technology is used and what legal safeguards are in place.
In a Facebook post last week, the department encouraged residents to read a statement from the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association explaining the purpose of license plate reader systems, commonly known as LPRs.
"There has been much debate recently regarding License Plate Readers, or LPRs for short," the department wrote. "For law enforcement, LPRs are a piece of modern technology that can assist police departments in solving crimes, finding missing persons, and even locating stolen vehicles."
The Connecticut Police Chiefs Association said LPR systems use cameras and optical character recognition technology to read license plates and compare them against law enforcement databases of stolen vehicles, wanted people, missing persons and AMBER Alerts. The association noted the systems do not record faces or collect other personal identifying information.
The organization acknowledged that concerns have been raised about privacy and government surveillance but said Connecticut lawmakers recently adopted statewide rules governing the technology. Those rules include limits on how long license plate data can be retained, restrictions on who may access the information, audit requirements for searches and prohibitions on using the data for purposes unrelated to legitimate law enforcement investigations.
"With all of the misinformation online, it is important for residents to understand what this technology does and doesn't do and how Connecticut law dictates its use," First Selectman Dan Carter wrote in the town's weekly newsletter.
Connecticut law prohibits the use of license plate reader data for federal immigration enforcement and bars agencies from using the technology to monitor First Amendment-protected activities or track individuals seeking healthcare services outside the state.
Police chiefs argued the technology has helped investigators recover stolen vehicles, locate missing and endangered people, solve crimes and identify suspects, while emphasizing that its use should include "clear policies, meaningful oversight, and respect for individual privacy."
The Bethel Police Department said it shared the information to help residents better understand how license plate readers are used by law enforcement today.
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