Crime & Safety
Palatine PD Adopts New System to Scan License Plates
Critics worry that the data collected by the system could become an invasion of privacy for residents.
Palatine, IL—Officers soon will be using a new license plate recognition system that can check drivers' plates against various local and state databases, the Daily Herald reports.
The system, which costs around $73,000, was unanimously approved by the village council last week and will be paid for with money collected from cash and property seized by the department, the report stated. Once purchased, the system will be installed in a single Palatine police squad car, but no timetable has been given for when that will happen, the report added.
Police say the recognition system works by scanning a suspect's license plate and checking it against village, state and school databases, according to the Herald. Used properly and effectively, the process would cut down the time it takes for officers to do vehicle checks during certain stops to see if a vehicle was stolen or illegally parked, the report stated.
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Critics of this tool, however, worry that the information collected could violate residents' privacy, the report stated. Officials told village board members that the department will be using best practices outlined by the International Association of Chiefs of Police in order to keep the sensitive information collected secure, the report added.
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When implemented, Palatine would become one of 1,200 agencies across the country using the license plate scanning system, according to the Herald. That includes the Mount Prospect Police Department, which will begin using the system in 2018, the report added.
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