Councilors press BPD and BRIC on license‑plate reader pilot, data sharing and surveillance policies

Boston councilors pressed Boston Police Department and Boston Regional Intelligence Center officials on May 15 about the scope of a 90‑day pilot of Flock license‑plate readers, the city’s required surveillance report and policies governing the sharing of intelligence with federal partners.

Ryan Walsh, a city intelligence official, told the committee the pilot is “a 90‑day pilot right now” and that “access is limited to trained users, who have sort of interest in the area where the cameras are located.” He said the pilot includes a small number of LPR cameras and a few CCTV cameras and that the city will assess results before any broader rollout.

Councilors asked how long footage and plate‑read data are retained, who can query the system, and whether the data are shared…