License Plate Reader Coming to Brookline

In a 4-1 vote, the policy and technology were approved. The system will be subject to the CIMS Camera Oversight Committee.

Brookline's Police Department is getting an automated license plate reader (ALPR), and a civilian committee will be watching the watchmen. The Board of Selectment voted last night, 4 to 1 in favor of the ALPR technology and of the policy Police Chief Daniel O'Leary has been crafting since the discussion began last year. In a separate, unanimous vote, the Board also set the CIMS Camera Oversight Committee in charge of overseeing the use of these readers.  An ALPR system uses three cameras mounted on a police cruiser, which read license plates on passing vehicles and uses optical character recognition to compare that license plate with a "hot list" of vehicles for which police may be looking. The technology has a number of uses ranging from …

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Grahame Turner

10:57 pm on Wednesday, June 27, 2012

The ACLU commended the town for just that in a letter the Police shared at the last hearing: http://patch.com/A-vfr7 Called the town an example for other communities considering the technology.   more ›

Brookline Still Not Ready for License Plate Readers, Yet

Last summer's automated license plate reader (ALPR) discussion returns with an updated policy, Selectmen still not quite ready to bring the technology to town.

Brookline Still Not Ready for License Plate Readers, Yet

Last summer's automated license plate reader (ALPR) discussion returns with an updated policy, Selectmen still not quite ready to bring the technology to town.

Despite concerns about the technology, the Brookline Police Department still hopes to add one automated license plate reading device to a police cruiser.  The Board of Selectmen last night discussed an updated policy surrounding the use of automated license plate readers (ALPR) to technology, and ultimately decided to hold the debate until a later meeting.  Police Chief Daniel O'Leary said that he worked with Town Counsel Patricia Correa to look at the policy first proposed last year, and work with recommendations from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and residents to create a more palatable policy. "We did an almost complete rewrite," O'Leary explained.  One change O'Leary noted was bringing the data retention policy from the …

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Brookline Selectmen Decline ALPR Grant, ALPR May Still Come

Board of Selectmen vote not to accept the state grant for an automated license plate reader, opting instead to consider purchasing one with town funds.

The Board of Selectmen were presented a grant for the purchase of an automated license plate reader (ALPR) in mid-June. Chief of Police Daniel O'Leary explained that it could automate some time-consuming tasks, but there were a number of unanswered questions from residents, as well as from the ACLU. Last night, the Board voted not to accept the $20,460 grant, but ALPR may still come to Brookline with town funds.  Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, Betsy DeWitt explained the vote: "With all due respect, I think that with rejecting the grant, there is a lot more flexibility in it." Chief O'Leary explained that two things had changed. First, the ACLU had provided feedback on the data retention and use policy drafted by the Town. Second, the …

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Five Things You Need to Know Today: September 13

Learn about Brookline Access TV, meet a kids' author, attend a lecture, or weigh in on the license plate reader debate.

National Weather Service reports that Brookline will be sunny with highs of 84ºF throughout most of the day. In the evening, there's about a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms, otherwise partly cloudy with lows of 64ºF.  Brookline Access Television is having an Open House tonight, at 6 p.m. Stop by their Tappan Street office to learn more about what Brookline Access is all about, what they can teach you, and how you can get involved.  Eoin Colfer, author of "Plugged", known for the Artemis Fowl series (and by perhaps a few for the sixth entry in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy's inaccurately-named trilogy) will be at the Brookline Booksmith at 7 p.m. tonight. Colfer's new book is his first foray into adult crime fiction, an absurdist …

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Five Things You Need to Know Today: July 26

Catch "Pirates of Penzance" today at Devotion School, or weigh in on food trucks and license plate readers at the Selectmen's meeting.

Today could prove to be a lot like yesterday. The National Weather Service predicts about a 30% chance of Thunderstorms, and highs of 83ºF today. Lows in the evening could hit 61ºF. You may also see some early morning fog if your'e up before 9 a.m.--so, you may want to dress warmly but keep an umbrella on you. There is a lot going on, internally and externally, for expecting mothers. Bottling up emotions doesn't always work out well, which is why Isis Maternity pulled together a regular Emotional Wellness Drop-In for Expecting Moms meeting. Today, at 2:15 p.m., it's a free and confidential place to chat with other expecting moms and licensed psychologist Dr. Teresa Spillane. The Brookline Board of Selectmen meet again tonight to continue a…

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Privacy and Data Retention: Unanswered Questions in Automatic License Plate Reader Discussion

Board of Selectmen did not take a final position on the topic at its July 12 meeting.

Of the nearly one dozen people who spoke at Tuesday night’s Board of Selectmen public hearing on accepting a state grant for an automatic license plate reader for the Police Dept., the large majority said they had concerns with their privacy and how the information would be retained and shared. Ultimately, Selectmen Chairman Betsy DeWitt said the board would not take a final position on the matter after the hearing, as unanswered questions remain as to how people’s data would be stored and how to best balance privacy issues. Police Chief Daniel O’Leary said the town had until Sept. 30 to decide whether to accept the $20,000 grant for the license plate reader, a tool he said that would be a value to public safety, making policing more …

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License Plate Reader Gets Public Hearing

Board of Selectmen to hold public hearing on July 12 about the use of Automated License Plate Reader.

Police Chief Daniel O'Leary began a discussion last week about the use of an Automated License Plate Reader, or ALPR system. The State has offered Brookline a $20,460 grant to install an ALPR system in a Brookline police cruiser and begin using the technology. During this week's Selectmen's meeting, the Board announced that a public hearing on the technology will be held on July 12. ALPR (sometimes called ANPR, for "number plate") is a system composed of a camera and a computer unit. The camera is installed in a police vehicle, and takes a photograph of license plates on parked and moving cars, then translates the numbers on the plate into a text format it can read and compares it to a "hot list." The list may have vehicles on the tow list…

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David Matson

3:13 pm on Wednesday, June 22, 2011

It is satisfying to see the city taking the privacy concerns seriously. More typically, they are glossed over or completely ignored, so kudos to the town meeting members. http://www.mymassachusettsdefenselawyer.com/police-surveillance-brookline-license-plate-scanners/   more ›