License plate reader program to become fully operational this year

CHICO, Calif. — Chico Police Chief Billy Aldridge says he expects the city's automated license plate readers (ALPRs) to become fully operational this year.

He says the city has already been operating the cameras and, so far, the department considers it a success. Before installing the readers on traffic lights last year, the department was using a reader on a patrol car.

The cameras are placed in strategic locations throughout Chico and the data associated with them are captured and stored for law enforcement purposes. That can include car thefts or even missing persons cases.

"I know that the license plate reader program will be a huge hit for us. It already has shown success rates, but, right now, it's not live because we have to get all the training done," Chief Aldridge said. "If its information is wanted on a plate, and it's in there, we're going to get it if it's in our city."

Still, organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, and Electronic Frontier Foundation continue to point to other concerns associated with the technology.

"License plate readers are what we call a mass surveillance technology. They collect information on everyone, every car, regardless of whether that car is suspected in a crime," said Dave Maass, director of investigations forElectronic Frontier Foundation. "For everyone else who hasn't done anything wrong, there’s no reason not to chuck that data out after just a few minutes. But, I think, the shorter the retention period, the safer it’s going to be from a data breach, from being abused."

In a statement, the Chico Police Department says that access to that information is restricted to the people who undergo their training on using the data responsibly. They are also cutting down their retention period.

They say in part: "Citizens’ personal information is not retained indefinitely. Non-crime related detections will be retained for one year and that the system will also be audited."

Right now, the department has two detectives currently trained on the technology. A larger training on the technology is expected in May.

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