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License Plate Reading Devices Fuel Privacy Debate
CHELSEA, MA – FEBRUARY 28: More and more police cars are equipped with high-tech devices called automatic license plate readers that allow officers to automatically check the driving history, criminal record and other information of drivers as cruisers pass them on the street. As a result, Boston area drivers are beginning to get tickets for offenses such as lack of insurance based on information that was automatically recorded by the readers. The devices are a step forward for law enforcement in investigations, too — potentially allowing them to know which vehicles were in the area of a crime scene. But civil libertarians fear that the readers will create a huge database that will allow investigators to track people’s movements whether they’re criminal suspects or not. Chelsea police Sgt. Robert Griffin took a Globe freelancer for a ride in a cruiser equipped with an automatic license plate reader. This is one of the rear cameras mounted on the back of the cruiser. (Photo by Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)