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Council approves expansion of license-plate readers after privacy questions and evidence cited
Summary
Council voted to expand license-plate readers after staff said the systems comply with Florida law on retention and auditing; residents raised privacy concerns and council members pressed for limits on data sharing.
Council members debated privacy and retention policies for license-plate readers (LPRs) before approving an expansion of the system on April 15.
Chief Schlegel described the department’s approach, saying the city complies with Florida law and FDLE guidance for data retention and auditing. "Florida statute allows, I think, upwards of 3 years for that data to remain," he said, adding the city had opted out of some vendor-sharing features.
Several council members said they supported the technology for public-safety uses but pressed staff on data access and oversight. Councilmember Anderson asked whether third-party vendors could be queried without city approval; staff said keystrokes and access are logged and audits are performed by the state and accrediting agencies.
The council approved the item by roll call. Council president also noted on the record that the department’s LPRs helped identify a suspect in a Coral Springs homicide, underscoring law-enforcement utility.
Council directed staff to respond in detail to resident follow-up questions on data sharing, retention policies and audit procedures.
