Medford parking director details license-plate reader use; council seeks clearer retention and access rules

Medford City — At a Committee of the Whole meeting on April 8, the Medford City Council reviewed the Parking Department—s impact report and use policy for automatic license-plate recognition technology (ALPRs). Parking Director Sarah McDermott told councilors the department operates two vehicles equipped with license-plate recognition cameras used primarily to enforce permit and restricted-parking rules.

Why it matters: The city—s review was carried out under the Community Control Over Public Surveillance ordinance adopted in 2023 and is the first time the Parking Department—s ALPR materials have come before the council. Councilors pressed for clearer records-retention limits, stronger contractual guarantees from private vendors, and an explicit prohibition on sharing ALPR data outside the city.

McDermott said the ALPR cameras read license-plate text and combine plate data with GPS coordinates to determine whether a vehicle is parked…