DAYTON — Another area department is considering adding more license plate readers to help capture criminals, however the proposed addition has sparked some controversy with groups voicing concerns.
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Dayton police have used the Automatic License Plate Readers since 2008, but the technology has only been in a few cruisers over the years. The department now is looking to expand their use of the technology and add them to all cars and possibly free-standing readers, like ones that have been installed in other communities like West Carrollton, Centerville, and Vandalia.
A Dayton police spokesperson said in a statement the technology assists officers in recovering stolen vehicles, providing evidence in violent crimes like homicides or robberies, finding missing people like in an Amber Alert situation, and solving other investigations.
Further expansion of the technology has brought concerns from community groups during public meetings with Dayton police, with groups expressing concerns that the readers only target certain communities.
News Center 7 reached out to some groups who have expressed concerns for comment but did not issue statements for this story. However, Dayton police had to submit an impact report as part of the proposal, where some of the concerns were outlined.
Opponents raised concerns with privacy and the possibility of racial profiling. In the impact report, police responded to the concerns by saying the footage is tightly restricted, the cameras are not capable of facial recognition.
Further implementation of the cameras is still pending, with another meeting for public comments set for next week.