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Council approves data-sharing MOU for county-owned license-plate readers after privacy questions
Summary
After public comment opposing commercial 'Flock' systems and questions about access, retention and oversight, the council approved Bill 5495 to permit local agencies controlled access to live LPR hits via the regional information center, with officials saying retention is 90 days and audit trails exist.
The St. Charles County Council voted on May 22 to authorize intergovernmental agreements that will let local law-enforcement agencies receive real-time license-plate-reader (LPR) 'hits' from county-owned cameras for approved investigations.
Public commenters opposed expansion of automated plate-reading technology. "This is another step towards digital surveillance," said Jake Jackson, who urged the council to ban so-called Flock camera systems. "A vote for this is a vote to erode our Fourth Amendment rights," he added.
Council members pressed police and RIC (Regional Information and Intelligence Center) staff on details. The chief explained the county’s LPRs are county-owned and operate to generate 'hits' only when a plate entered for an active investigation is matched; the system does not generate actionable alerts for every scanned vehicle. "If someone commits a crime… investigators can enter that plate into the system and once it passes through a license plate reader, it'll activate the RIC," the chief said, describing recent investigative uses and an arrest tied to an out-of-state murder investigation.
Councilors asked who can access data and for how long it is retained. Officials said current retention is 90 days for the LPR data and that the RIC maintains audit logs and supervisory review to detect misuse. The chief and RIC supervisors said the agreement does not add cameras or permit historical, unrestricted plate searches by outside agencies; it permits selected jurisdictions to receive live hits directly for plates already entered in active queries or investigations.
Supporters said the technology aids investigations of violent crimes and missing persons. Opponents raised civil-liberties concerns and asked for clear guardrails. Council members sought language clarifying audit procedures and access control; nonetheless, the council approved the measure on roll call.
What’s next: The intergovernmental agreements will be executed with participating municipalities and law-enforcement agencies; councilmembers asked for informational tours of the RIC and for written documentation of audit controls and retention policies.
