A city's AI license plate cameras led to an uproar and a state of emergency

"Dierdre Shea researched the camera and learned that it was an artificial-intelligence-assisted license plate reader - the type that have caused privacy concerns across the country in recent months, leading to laws limiting their use in more than a dozen states."

"Flock's system uses AI-enabled cameras to snap photos of every vehicle that passes, creating a digital "fingerprint" that includes data as personal as bumper stickers or gun racks."

"Last month, Mayor Carmella Mantello, flanked by officers in blue, accused the city council of "defunding" the police and declared a state of emergency to keep the cameras running, a designation usually reserved for floods and blizzards."

"Flock cameras are beloved by police because officers can use the company's national database to track vehicle movements to recover drugs and stolen automobiles, and to solve evenmore serious crimes. A company spokesman said in a statement that the devices support "communities across the country in addressing crime and locating missing people.""

A resident noticed an AI-assisted license plate reader camera with a solar panel and researched its purpose as an automated license plate reader. The discovery led to neighbor emails and intense debate in Troy, a city of about 52,000. Some residents demanded removal of the devices due to privacy concerns and referenced laws limiting similar systems in many states. The Republican mayor supported the cameras, while the Democratic city council sought to halt funding. The mayor accused the council of defunding police and declared a state of emergency to keep the cameras operating. The cameras are operated by Flock Safety, which uses AI-enabled cameras to capture photos of passing vehicles and create digital fingerprints. Police value the system for tracking vehicles using a national database to recover stolen cars and solve serious crimes.

Read at The Washington Post