5 hours ago - Public Safety
Charted: Police plate reader rules vary across region
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An exclusive Axios survey shows metro Denver law enforcement deploy a mix of surveillance tools, with different rules.
Zoom in: Littleton Police were the only respondents that didn't report using automatic license plate readers (ALPRs).
- While Flock remains the most common provider, departments also use Axon, Motorola and others.
And we're not just talking about roadside cameras.
- Boulder — and Boulder County Sheriff's Office — plus Parker and Lone Tree, are among those that use both fixed and patrol-mounted readers.
- Louisville relies on vehicle-mounted readers.
The fine print: Canceling a camera contract doesn't necessarily mean surveillance stops.
- Englewood cut ties with Flock in September but still uses Axon's vehicle-mounted ALPRs.
Why it matters: Your license plate data could travel beyond the department that collected the information.
- Parker, for instance, says it shares data only with Douglas County law enforcement partners.
- Boulder, meanwhile, makes its data available to "less than a hundred other agencies within the state."
Beyond plate readers, some agencies report using other tracking tools.
- Aurora and Lone Tree uses facial recognition in investigations.
- And, beginning this week, Greenwood Village will use LexisNexis' Accurint Virtual Crime Center, which has "image-matching capabilities" that trained staff can use for investigations.
The bottom line: There's more to police surveillance than the cameras you see along the road.