Oct. 21—Santa Fe County deputies are gearing up to join other law enforcement officers in the area who utilize license plate-recognition technology to monitor vehicles on roadways. This cutting-edge technology automatically detects and stores license plate numbers, utilizing cameras strategically placed on poles along roads or mounted on patrol vehicles. Police have hailed this technology as an unprecedented crime-fighting tool, but critics express concerns about potential abuse and mass surveillance.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office plans to install these cameras in the coming months, following in the footsteps of New Mexico State Police and other agencies in Española, Pojoaque, and Albuquerque. Undersheriff Ken Johnson shared that the office intends to equip 20 patrol vehicles, out of a total fleet of approximately 50, with mobile cameras. Additionally, they will set up two fixed cameras in the county and two mobile “quick-deploy units” that can be relocated to different locations.
The system will send alerts to officers whenever the cameras detect license plate numbers linked to stolen vehicles or other criminal activities. Johnson clarified that the system has not been purchased yet, but the sheriff’s office has obtained a quote from Vigilant Solutions, a subsidiary of Motorola. They plan to leverage $600,000 in state funding, which was approved by the Santa Fe County Commission earlier this month, for the purchase. Installation of the cameras is anticipated to occur several months from now.
“We’ll deploy them as we need them, in areas where we either have an uptick in crime or for an investigation,” Johnson explained. Describing the cameras as a “useful tool” for deputies, he elaborated that they will aid in locating stolen vehicles and apprehending drivers with outstanding warrants or expired registrations.
While automatic license plate recognition technology has garnered praise, certain civil rights advocates express concerns about potential privacy infringements. They argue that the systems could be exploited to track the movements of specific individuals. Jennifer Burrill, a public defender and president of the New Mexico Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, characterizes such systems as a “phishing expedition.” Burrill contends that there should be visible evidence of a law violation to justify a stop, although she acknowledges that courts have ruled in favor of police departments using automatic license plate readers.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, at least 17 states have enacted laws to regulate the use of this technology by law enforcement and private entities. These laws establish limits on the duration for which license plate data can be stored and dictate how it can be shared. However, no such law has been passed in New Mexico.
The American Civil Liberties Union recommends that departments implement policies requiring the deletion of data that does not yield any hits within three minutes, as stipulated by New Hampshire law. In other states, data can be stored for up to 150 days. New Mexico State Police, for instance, have a policy requiring the purge of most data collected by their automatic license plate readers every 10 days. The Albuquerque Police Department follows suit with a 14-day data retention policy.
Currently, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office lacks a policy on the use of license plate readers. However, Johnson assured that they are actively working on its development and intend to have it in place before deploying the cameras. No decision has been made regarding data retention limits in the system.
The program will feature a designated administrator, and the department plans to conduct regular internal audits to ensure proper usage of the system. In contrast, the Santa Fe Police Department does not utilize automatic license plate readers. Nevertheless, Deputy Chief Ben Valdez revealed that the department tested the technology several years ago and found it effective in combating vehicle theft. Valdez noted that the cost of the system presented a significant hurdle, but they already possess much of the necessary equipment, such as car-mounted cameras, that could be leveraged for a license plate-recognition program.
