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Council tables proposed license-plate-reader agreement pending data-access details
Summary
Council deferred a decision on a state-sponsored license-plate-reader agreement after police described the system and council members raised questions about who controls the data, retention and subpoena access.
The City of Aberdeen council voted to table consideration of an electronic-use agreement that would allow two fixed license-plate readers to be hosted locally and accessed through the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI).
Mayor Shahneman introduced the item and Police Chief John Dahl described the proposed system as a DCI-run program using vendor Vigilant Solutions. "They automatically read the front or rear license plate on vehicles that pass by," Dahl said, adding that the city would follow DCI protocols for access to the data.
Council members pressed officials on data ownership, retention and third-party access. One council member asked whether neighbors could subpoena the records; Chief Dahl said local police do not hold the data and that queries require justification tied to an active criminal investigation. Another member recalled a local pilot program more than a decade ago and objected to helping collect that information, saying he would not support the proposal without further clarity.
A councilmember moved to postpone consideration and the motion carried. Council directed staff and the police chief to obtain more information on who owns and archives the LPR data, how long it is retained and the legal access procedure before bringing the agreement back for consideration.
