Springfield Police have finished installing 24 AI-powered license plate readers, but the department says it won’t turn them on until the city has a community conversation about the technology.
The cameras, installed and operated by private company Flock Safety, create digital fingerprints of cars, capturing a plate or identifying vehicles based on make, model, color or damage. They are also part of a national database that includes other law enforcement agencies.
In a news release Friday, Springfield Police said it needed to install the cameras now, before the impending deadline of the retail theft grant they used to purchase them.
The department said the system was briefly turned on to calibrate them, but will remain off until a public discussion can take place.
Springfield has also created a transparency portal with information about the cameras.
Eugene has been using the system for months. The department has argued the cameras have helped them close more cases by quickly locating suspects. In a press release on Sept. 8, EPD said the cameras had helped them make 43 arrests in cases ranging from homicide to property crime.
Community members from both Eugene and Springfield have raised privacy and Constitutional concerns about Flock, arguing it could put vulnerable community members at risk.
Investigations have also found federal immigration authorities accessed the system in other states, sometimes without local police knowledge.
Two members of Oregon’s congressional delegation have also raised concerns about Flock’s nationwide network. In July, Sen. Ron Wyden made an agreement with the company to exclude Oregon camera data from any searches referencing abortion, and immigration.
On Tuesday, 4th district Rep. Val Hoyle said recent federal government efforts to acquire private data or use data it has for immigration enforcement, had made her concerned about the information Flock collects being misused.
“Whether it’s the ACLU, or our immigrant or trans community, they are justifiable in their right to be concerned about how this information is being used,” Hoyle said.
Hoyle said she had spoken to local government leaders about Flock cameras and was monitoring the conversation, but ultimately they are a local issue.
Springfield City Council plans to hold a discussion on the cameras sometime this fall.
Springfield has also published a map of where the cameras are on the city’s website.
