Across Utah, AI‑powered license plate readers are becoming a key tool for law enforcement. They help catch dangerous suspects but also raise privacy concerns.
SALT LAKE CITY — Across Utah , AI‑powered license plate readers are becoming a key tool for law enforcement. They help catch dangerous suspects but also raise privacy concerns.It's a controversial topic that's been thrust back into the spotlight in Utah , after police used the technology to capture two homicide suspects.
In just the last few weeks, local law enforcement used the license plate recognition system to track a man accused of killing three women in Wayne County. Police found him in Colorado.The other, a suspect wanted in connection to a murder in Las Vegas, was found in Roy. License plate recognition cameras snap images of passing cars and upload plate numbers and vehicle details into a searchable database.Companies provide all kinds of information about users that we may not realize.Public concern over privacyThe Provo City Council recently held a meeting to address growing public concerns about the technology."Provo's participation in the Flock Safety network contributes to what effectively constitutes a national mass surveillance network of every citizen who drives on major roads, including those of us who are not suspected of any crime," a resident said in the meeting.During that meeting, Flock Safety spokesperson Lily Ho outlined several safeguards designed to protect how the data is stored and used."You guys, as customers, are in full control of what you do with the data, how long you keep it, who you share it with. Your data will automatically delete, depending on what your retention period is," Ho said. "We are not in the business of selling or sharing your data to anybody else. You are in full control."Agencies say these cameras help solve cases and avoid broad stops, but residents want tighter limits and proof of restraint.Law enforcement uses AI technology to track and find potential criminalsInvestigators argue AI can narrow a suspect vehicle even when a plate is missing, reducing broad, intrusive stops and focusing on a smaller set of likely matches.Capt. Brian Taylor with the Provo Police Department says the technology can also help identify descriptions of cars, which has led to accurate suspect locations."The AI search feature that literally touches on the vehicle fingerprint lets us do more than merely look for license plates," Taylor said.But critics worry that expanding camera networks could morph into mass surveillance or retain too much information.AI researcher Kenneth Marino, assi
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