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is a practicality to the enterprise that is largely forgotten. Yes, it is absolutely true that ALPR is capable of storing the massive amounts of capture data
that these groups fear. But the idea that the police
have the time or the manpower to go through this
voluminous amount of data just looking for someone to target on moral, religious, or political grounds
is absurd on its face. It reeks of the kind of paranoia
for which so-called civil rights organizations are infamous, and it doesn’t reflect reality in the slightest.
Exaggerated fears notwithstanding, there are some
best practices, if you will, that responsible users of
ALPR should employ. Such practices not only help
to ensure that personal privacy rights are not being
violated, but also go a long way toward enhancing
the public’s perception that everything necessary in
that regard is being done.
First and foremost, it is imperative that all ALPR
users, whether public or private, know their state
statutes in regard to the technology. Simply put,
U.S. states vary widely in how they regulate ALPR.
Some, such as New Hampshire, have effectively
banned the technology altogether, whereas others,
such as Florida, have no real restrictions on its use
at all. Other states fall somewhere in between, delineating the purposes for which it can be used and
how long capture data can be stored before it must
be deleted. The information is readily available online and it is highly recommended that those who
use or are considering using ALPR study it carefully.
Second, know and use the built-in security features
of your ALPR solution. These, too, can vary. The
best available technology will provide you not only
with state-of-the-art data security measures, but
also built-in data retention features allowing the
July-Aug 2016 Edition
user to schedule data for automatic deletion after
a specified period of time. In the near future, other
security features will be available, such as a comprehensive audit trail that keeps detailed records of
all data queries made to the system. Additionally, if
you use a network of fixed-location cameras, make
sure that they are hack-proof.
Finally, always verify your hits. New-school ALPR
technology is very accurate and getting better all
the time, but no technology, no matter how sophisticated, is perfect. When your system hits on a plate,
take a few extra seconds to verify that it has read
the plate correctly and is therefore returning accurate information. Don’t put yourself or your agency
in the position of stopping and possibly arresting an
innocent person due solely to a computer error.
ALPR is Here to Stay
Unfortunately, the dangers of crime and terrorism
aren’t going away anytime soon. In fact, they are
likely to get worse before they get better. Going forward, we are going to need the best technological
tools available to help stem this tide and keep our
nation safe. ALPR is a critical weapon in this war.
It is imperative that we deploy it wherever possible
to maximize its potential and give our law enforcement and Homeland Security officers the help they
need.
For more information, please http://www.platesmart.
com/.
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