Resident urges clearer oversight and transparency for planned license-plate readers in Kosciusko County

During public comment, Kosciusko County resident David Hahn raised questions about the county’s planned deployment of automatic license-plate readers (ALPRs), pressing elected officials for details on data retention, audit practices, vendor data ownership and cross-jurisdiction sharing.

Hahn said Indiana currently lacks statewide rules governing how ALPR data are retained, shared or audited and asked why a database of vehicle scans would be stored for a month if the system’s primary purpose is to alert officers about known suspect vehicles. He asked who audits searches of the system, whether access logs are reviewed, and whether there is independent oversight if misuse occurs. Hahn also asked how the program measures success and whether results (for example, crimes solved or stolen vehicles recovered using the system) are regularly reported to the public.

Council members suggested law enforcement or the prosecutor’s office would be appropriate resources to answer technical and operational policy questions and noted that county commissioners approve policy when it is brought forward. No policy decision was made during the meeting; the record shows the resident’s questions and a suggestion to seek answers from the sheriff’s office or prosecutor.

Why it matters: ALPR systems raise privacy, governance and civil-liberties questions because they can collect location and movement data about vehicles. Hahn’s comments underscore a common local-government gap when statewide standards do not exist: residents often ask for clearer local policies on retention, access controls, auditing and transparency.

Next steps: Council members directed the resident to consult the sheriff’s office or prosecutor’s office for program specifics; the transcript does not record a follow-up briefing or a county policy vote.