A concerning precedent in the use of police technology has come to light following a series of wrongful arrests based on incorrect information provided by automatic license plate readers (ALPRs). In Aurora, Colorado, Brittney Gilliam and her family had a terrifying experience in August 2020 when they were held at gunpoint by police on suspicion of driving a stolen vehicle. The confusion stemmed from a system error that mistook the license plate of their Colorado SUV for that of a stolen motorcycle with Montana plates.
Gilliam’s case is not isolated. Denise Green also experienced a similar wrongful arrest in San Francisco in 2009 when officers stopped her because the ALPR had misinterpreted her license plate, mistaking a number. In both incidents, the victims were African American women, highlighting how this technology can exacerbate inequalities in the criminal justice system.
Errors made by license plate readers are not uncommon. A recent study indicates that one in ten vehicles is misread by these devices, leading to an alarming number of wrongful arrests. In Atherton, California, Jason Burkleo was detained on his way to work when officers, armed and in plain view of others, ordered him to lie on the ground due to a misinterpretation of his license plate. Similarly, in Española, New Mexico, Jaclynn Gonzales was also held at gunpoint due to a ALPR reading error.
In addition to human reading errors, other cases have arisen due to inadequate maintenance of ALPR databases. For example, Contra Costa police detained Brian Hofer based on information about a vehicle that had already been recovered, as the corresponding database was not updated.
The excessive dependence on ALPRs by law enforcement is leading to arrests being executed without proper verification. In a case in Detroit, a woman was arrested due to her license plate matching that of a car model used in a shooting, despite her vehicle being two miles away and not matching other characteristics.
The abuses do not end there. There are reports of officers illegally using ALPR databases to obtain personal information for personal purposes, such as harassment. These abuses have led to an increase in lawsuits for wrongful detentions, with cities like Aurora and San Francisco paying millions in settlements to resolve these cases.
The community is beginning to question the role of ALPRs in the criminal justice system and their true effects on public safety. While wrongful detentions by perpetrators of crimes, far from protecting, create a climate of distrust and fear among citizens. Since 2012, various organizations have worked to resist the risks posed by these technologies, advocating for the privacy and safety of citizens.
Referrer: MiMub in Spanish