Highland Park police brief council on automated license-plate readers, cite audits and restricted access

Deputy Chief Olsson and Commander Sean Curran briefed the Committee of the Whole on Highland Park’s automated license-plate reader (ALPR) program and answered council questions about privacy and external access.

Police described ALPRs as camera systems that capture still images of license plates and related vehicle descriptors (state, make, model, color). Highland Park staff said the city currently has authorization for 22 fixed ALPR cameras placed at strategic entry points and has agreements with three privately owned systems that provide access for criminal investigations and missing/endangered-person cases.

Officials said ALPR data are uploaded to a cloud server, retained for 30 days if not associated with an active criminal case, and are used only for life-safety and investigative purposes (not for traffic enforcement or revenue generation). Commander Curran described a manual approval process for external requests for data; the transcript records that he must physically approve access and that the department conducts monthly audits of officer searches to track reasons for queries.

Council members asked about past instances in other jurisdictions where data-sharing or federal access raised concerns. Police said Highland Park restricted access by design and limited sharing, and they described checks and balances, monthly audits, and city oversight. Staff and the mayor suggested the city could do more proactive public communication (website, newsletters, case highlights) explaining how the system is used to solve crimes and the safeguards that protect privacy.

Staff also reported that state legislation proposing limits on ALPR data retention and access remains at the committee stage and has not advanced out of committee.

The briefing was presented for information; council took no policy vote on the ALPR program at this meeting.