The Charlottesville Police Department recently ended a pilot program that involved the use of artificial intelligence software and license plate reading cameras to help solve crimes in Charlottesville, Virginia. The program was ended over concerns that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials could use the data collected by the license plate reading cameras to identify illegal immigrants.
According to CBS 19 News, while police officials credited the license plate reader cameras for helping solve crime, city council members in Charlottesville voted earlier this month to end a one-year pilot program for the Flock Safety license plate reader system. The outlet noted that City Manager Sam Sanders confirmed that Charlottesville would not be renewing its contract with Flock Safety following the expiration of its one-year pilot program.
“That pilot has now ended,” Sanders informed City Council officials during a meeting on December 15. “The cameras are being removed.”
“I just think that the concerns are much bigger than us,” Charlottesville Police Chief Michael Kochis said regarding the city’s decision to end the license plate reading camera program. “Most of the feedback we got was very positive from folks in the community. That being said, there were some concerns.”
Kochis added, “The big concerns continue to come up from mostly policymakers that, you know, are they the federal government or the administration in D.C. could get access to it.”
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CBS 19 News reported that Charlottesville officials were concerned that federal agencies, such as ICE, could use information obtained by the city’s license plate reader cameras to identify and track illegal immigrants. Kochis previously announced in June that the Charlottesville Police Department had disconnected its Flock Safety system from other law enforcement agencies.
While the city ultimately decided to end the license plate reading pilot program, Kochis acknowledged that the program helped police officers solve crime in the city.
“It’s helped us solve our homicide in the city,” the police chief said. “It has helped us recover a missing child. It has helped us recover missing people. It does help us recover stolen cars in time frames that actually have meaning.”
According to CBS 19 News, Kochis indicated that the Charlottesville Police Department is considering other license plate reader systems that could potentially provide similar services to the Flock Safety program while also addressing the concerns of city officials that ICE could access the data collected by the cameras. One of the alternative systems is Axon, a company that produces body cameras for police officers.
“We trust Axon. We have for many years for our body-worn camera footage,” Kochis stated. “They also have a similar program, so that would be something we would roll out and speak to council about.”
