As license plate reader technology faces growing scrutiny across Alabama, the City of Mobile is detailing how it uses the tools — and how long it holds onto what they collect. The question surfaced during Tuesday’s pre-council meeting as the city considered renewing a $695,000 contract with ProTecVideo to maintain its citywide camera network.
Councilman Ben Reynolds raised concerns about data collection and protection. “We all should have concerns that while we do have the Fourth Amendment protections from the government, you’ve got to make sure that those are strictly adhered to, and you have a layered protection process,” Reynolds said.
Not Flock — But LPR Capable
Much of the recent controversy around Alabama has centered on Flock, a license plate reader brand Mobile does not use. Mobile Public Safety Executive Director Curtis Graves said the ProTecVideo contract is not specifically for plate readers, but many cameras throughout the city do have LPR capabilities. He defended the technology as a critical public safety tool.
“It could be a stolen car. It could be a missing child. You name it. It could be any of those things. And having cameras in places where you can’t have bodies is very important,” Graves said. He declined to say how many cameras have LPR capability or where they are located.
60 Days, Unless It’s Part of an Investigation
While Alabama law allows LPR data to be stored for up to five years, Graves said Mobile keeps the data for just 60 days unless it is connected to a pending investigation. Access, he said, is tightly restricted. “We are very disciplined on how and who we give access to that ability to. So, to have an officer off the street just access data to that point would not be possible with us,” he said.
Statewide Scrutiny
The privacy debate is not hypothetical. Two police departments outside Birmingham have confirmed that two former officers are no longer employed following separate internal investigations into their use of Flock license plate reader systems — fueling concerns about potential misuse of the technology.
State Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, said those cases are getting lawmakers’ attention. “The public is kind of tuning in to what is transpiring as they go down the roadways. Their movements are being tracked and potentially recorded for who knows how long,” Orr said.
For Mobile, the 60-day retention policy and restricted access model position the city on the more conservative end of the spectrum as state officials weigh whether Alabama’s five-year allowance should be tightened.