Iowa ACLU voices concerns with license plate readers

WASHINGTON - The ACLU of Iowa is concerned by what it considers a lack of oversight in the use of automated plate readers.

Veronica Fowler, Communications Director of the ACLU’s Iowa chapter said the cameras lack proper safeguards, both under Iowa law or under the Washington Police Department’s guidelines, which she considered too vague.

Fowler cited several other abuses. According to the Wichita Eagle and Local 12 News of Cincinnati, Ohio, a police chief in Sedgwick, Kansas used flock cameras anywhere between 164 and over 200 times to track his ex-girlfriend. In the City of Evanston, Illinois, flock cameras shared information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, against both the wishes of the city government and the company’s own policy. According to Fowler, the city then removed the cameras, only to find that Flock had returned them to their former perches without consulting them. Fowler also mentioned the case of a Texas woman who was surveilled via the camera system after receiving an out-of-state abortion.

Fowler further asserted that, if the public truly knew the extent to which they were being watched, it would give them pause. She cited the Washington Police Department’s statistics, that in the past 30 days, more than 30,000 plates were photographed. Washington is a town of less than 8,000. Her conclusion: Everyone who visits Washington is at the risk of having their entire lives catalogued.

Chief Jim Lester of the Washington Police Department took these worries seriously. In his response to the ACLU’s comments, Lester stressed the limited scope of the cameras’ intended use, as well as the department’s strict repercussions for any abuse of the system.

“First, I want to be clear that the Washington Police Department takes privacy, transparency, and public trust very seriously,” he said. “I am aware of incidents like those you have referenced in other jurisdictions and agree that the examples are an unacceptable abuse of the system. The WPD has implemented strict policy and controls to ensure the system is used appropriately and lawfully. Use of ALPR data is limited to legitimate law enforcement purposes. Access to the system is restricted, logged, and subject to supervisory review. Any misuse of the system would constitute a serious policy violation and result in disciplinary action.”

Chief Lester further denied the claim that ALPR data could track lawful movements of citizens, while highlighting its recent successes. He directed the curious to the WPD’s website, which describes their Flock Camera policies in full, which can be found by visiting washingtoniowa.gov.

When asked if the ACLU had any questions about the WPD’s policies, Fowler was frank.

“I don't think we have any questions, exactly, as much as we are asking community leaders to consider ending their contracts for ALPRs, as some other communities have done, because the harms outweigh the benefits,” she said.

Call Marilyn Higgins at 319-368-8895 or email her at marilyn.higgins@southeastiowaunion.com

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