Riverside County Sherrif’s Department open to public input on license plate readers

Riverside County supervisors on Tuesday authorized the Sheriff’s Department to open a public comment period for residents to express their views on the agency’s use of Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology that allows deputies to take pictures of vehicles’ plates and store them in a database for several years.

In a 4-0 vote — with Supervisor John Tavaglione absent — the Board of Supervisors gave sheriff’s officials permission to set aside specific dates for the receipt of public comments, which will be announced via the agency’s website.

“The use of ALPR technology is a valuable law enforcement tool,” according to a sheriff’s statement posted to the board’s policy agenda. “This technology assists in identifying stolen or wanted vehicles, vehicles associated with missing or wanted people, and stolen license plates.”

State law requires safety agencies to survey public opinion and disclose policies regarding the use of ALPR programs.

The sheriff’s department began using the technology more than two years ago and would like to gauge residents’ concerns, likes and dislikes of license plate readers deployed in the unincorporated communities, officials said.

The system relies on dashboard-mounted cameras in sheriff’s patrol units to snap images of license plates, which are then loaded into a database that can be accessed by any agency authorized to utilize the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System, or CLETS.

“The department follows strict protocols in the access, storage and use of ALPR data to ensure its integrity and compliance with applicable laws,” the agency stated, adding that there’s an ongoing effort to balance “personal privacy concerns and public safety.”

A private vendor manages data storage and disposal. The sheriff’s policy requires that license plate information be securely purged after two years, though some images may be retained longer if needed for litigation or auditing purposes.

According to the sheriff’s department, in 2016, roughly 1,350 vehicles were stolen in the unincorporated areas, with a recovery rate of 85 percent.

Within the 17 cities that contract with the county for law enforcement services, there were about 5,000 vehicle thefts last year, of which 84 percent were recovered.