ACLU upset over license plate readers

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - The American Civil Liberties Union wants answers when it comes to license plate readers that are used by police and parking authorities to track down criminals or people with outstanding tickets.

The ACLU is suing two federal agencies in an effort to find out what they are doing with this license plate information.

License plate readers scan up to 1,800 plates a minute, than compare the information to databases in an effort to track things like stolen cars or missing children. The ACLU has concerns about how long the information is stored, how it's secured, and who has access to it.

The Springfield Parking Authority uses a similar system. Parking Authority Comptroller Bohul Bhuiya there says they only have plate information, nothing personal about the driver, and it's only used for ticketing purposes.

“The system doesn't do anything with it. It doesn't inquire with the RMV or any server, it's just looking for an impression. Once we find a match, then we know the plate owes a certain amount of money, then we place a notice on the window notifying the owner of the vehicle,” Bhuiya said.

He also said that their systems purge the data at the end of the day.

Police use the system as well, and say they use it only to fight crime, but the ACLU argues it's unregulated.