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Resident urges pause and safeguards for county's ALPR cameras, cites Supreme Court rulings
Summary
Ray Clawson told the commission that aggregated automatic license plate reader data can create detailed location histories and urged the county to halt funding or permission for the Samsung Vigilant system until retention limits, transparency, and access controls are adopted; he cited Carpenter v. United States and Chhatri v. United States.
Ray Clawson, who identified himself as a Bradley County resident and a U.S. Navy veteran, told the commission during public comment that automatic license plate reader (ALPR) systems raise serious privacy and constitutional questions when scans are aggregated over time and shared across networks. Clawson asked whether commissioners knew that the county had approved installation of the Samsung Vigilant system on May 20, 2024 and urged the commission to remove funding or permission until safeguards are in place.
Clawson cited Supreme Court decisions to frame his concern: "In 2018, Carpenter versus United States, the Supreme Court recognized that location data can reveal far more about a person than most people realize," and he referenced a recent June decision he identified as "Chhatri versus United States" addressing geofence searches. He asked the commission to ensure ALPR use includes clear retention limits, transparency regarding data sharing, strict access controls, auditing procedures, and protections for the privacy of innocent citizens; he said he has filed a records request with the Bradley County Sheriff's Office.
