San Jose police rein in license-plate reader policies as surveillance-tech debate rages

"In a policy memo released Thursday, SJPD Chief Paul Joseph asks the City Council to approve key changes, namely shrinking the retention period for plate data from one year to 30 days, and banning cameras from recording vehicles entering and leaving houses of worship and reproductive health clinics."

"The changes aim particularly to ensure that the department is not inadvertently cooperating with agencies from out of state who are thus not subject to California law prohibiting local police from participating in immigration-related actions."

"We have to have the tools that are available to law enforcement these days to make us as effective and efficient as we could possibly be, he said, while at the same time acknowledging that there are legitimate concerns about privacy, and legitimate concerns about misuse."

San Jose Police Department is implementing significant policy changes to its automated license plate reader (ALPR) system in response to privacy concerns and immigration enforcement fears. The department will reduce data retention from one year to 30 days and prohibit cameras from recording vehicles at houses of worship and reproductive health clinics. Police Chief Paul Joseph has also revised authorization and logging procedures for plate data requests from outside agencies, requiring more detailed information to prevent inadvertent cooperation with out-of-state agencies not bound by California's immigration enforcement restrictions. These changes aim to balance law enforcement effectiveness with legitimate privacy concerns while maintaining the value of the city's 474 ALPR cameras.

Read at www.mercurynews.com