DAVIS COUNTY, Utah — At a recent meeting, Davis County commissioners approved a memorandum of understanding with the Utah Department of Public Safety on the use of automated license plate readers.
During the meeting, community members spoke during public comment.
“As you know the issue of license plate readers gets the public really riled up. I mean there’s a lot of discussion going on, on social media, other places, and the anger continues to grow about these,” Ron Mortenson, a Bountiful resident, said.
Cameras like these have become controversial across the country due to privacy concerns and accusations of police misusing them. A police officer in Milwaukee was accused of using them to track his romantic partner. In some communities, people have cut them down.
There are already several Automated License Plate Readers or ALPRs located in cities within the county, but the Davis County Sheriff’s Office operates none.
Chief Deputy for the Davis County Sheriff’s Office Arnold Butcher said signing an MOU, or memorandum of understanding, is required for any Utah law enforcement agency that plans to use these types of tools.
“So what they’re trying to do is get some controls out there to ensure that the law enforcement agencies are utilizing this tool properly and that we’re not stepping on or infringing upon citizens' rights,” Chief Deputy Butcher said.
Right now, Chief Deputy Butcher said they have four ALPRs, but none have been placed in the community yet. One of their cameras is currently in a testing phase.
People in opposition to the cameras had questions about their own privacy.
“It’s not that we don’t want to have security, but what are we willing to give up for security,” one woman said during public comment.
Chief Deputy Butcher said the Sheriff’s Office understands the concerns that the citizens have, but they’re committed to protecting everyone’s rights.
“We don’t have anyone sitting there watching them, we don’t have any information being fed to us. It’s only when a specific vehicle, color, or license plate are entered into a hot sheet and then it is flagged on one of those camera systems,” he explained. "Then that particular agency that that camera belongs to gets a notification; you had one come through. That agency then reaches out to the agency that is requesting the information or put the information on the hot sheet."
