Risks of ALPRs

1. Mass Surveillance of Innocent People

ALPRs capture every passing vehicle—regardless of suspicion. This creates a comprehensive, retroactive tracking database of innocent residents' movements: where you live, work, worship, seek medical care, attend political events, and more. The Supreme Court has recognized that long-term location tracking reveals "a detailed, encyclopedic, and effortlessly compiled" picture of private life (Carpenter v. United States, 2018).

2. Indefinite Data Retention

Many agencies retain ALPR data for years with no automatic deletion. Without strict retention limits, a database grows into a permanent record of everyone's movements. Flock Safety's default retention is 30 days, but agencies can extend this indefinitely. Some fusion centers retain data for years.

3. Uncontrolled Data Sharing

ALPR data rarely stays local. It flows to:

• Regional fusion centers (CT Intelligence Center)
• National databases (NLETS, FBI LPR program)
• Private vendors (Flock Safety, Axon, Vigilant Solutions)
• Other law enforcement agencies (ICE, DEA, out-of-state)
• Private companies (repo firms, data brokers)

Sharing agreements are often opaque and lack public oversight.

4. Mission Creep

Systems sold for "stolen vehicles" and "AMBER alerts" expand to:

• Immigration enforcement (ICE uses ALPR data extensively)
• Abortion clinic tracking (post-Dobbs)
• Political protest monitoring
• Traffic enforcement (speeding, toll evasion)
• Private investigations

Once infrastructure exists, the pressure to "use the investment" drives expansion.

5. Lack of Transparency & Accountability

Most ALPR deployments occur without:

• Public hearings
• Published policies (use, retention, sharing, access)
• Independent audits
• Civilian oversight
• Clear consequences for misuse

Vendor contracts (Flock, Axon) often include confidentiality clauses that hinder FOIA requests.

6. Disproportionate Impact

Surveillance infrastructure is often concentrated in certain neighborhoods, leading to disproportionate monitoring of marginalized communities. ALPR hits are used for pretextual stops, which data shows disproportionately affect Black and Latino drivers.

7. Data Breach & Misuse Risk

Centralized databases of millions of plate reads are attractive targets for hackers and insider abuse. There have been documented cases of officers using ALPR data to stalk ex-partners, track political enemies, or sell data. No system is immune to breach.

8. Chilling Effect on First Amendment Rights

Knowing your movements are tracked discourages participation in:

• Political protests and rallies
• Religious services
• Union organizing
• Visiting sensitive locations (clinics, counseling, legal aid)
• Journalistic source protection

Data Retention Limit: 21 Days Maximum

Police can store ALPR data for a maximum of 21 days. The Police Officer Standards and Training Council and vendor Flock Safety recommend a 7-day default. Flock updated its software for CT agencies to enforce the 21-day hard cap.

Prohibited Uses

Explicitly bans using camera data for:

• Immigration enforcement (ICE)
• Investigating reproductive or transgender healthcare access
• Identifying people engaging in First Amendment-protected activities (protests, rallies, organizing)

Out-of-State Sharing Restrictions

CT police cannot share data through national networks with out-of-state agencies, except for neighboring departments in MA, NY, RI — and only if those agencies formally agree to abide by CT's privacy rules. Any other state agency requires a judge-approved probable cause warrant or judicial order.

Active Case Requirements

Local police cannot randomly search internal databases. Searches must be tied to a specific active criminal case number and the officer must sign a legal compliance attestation. Access to data older than 7 days generally requires a judicial warrant.

Vendor & Compliance Enforcement

Flock Safety updated its CT software defaults to the 21-day hard cap. Departments must check a compliance confirmation box or lose access to state data streams. This forces vendor accountability through the software itself.