In a recent interview with Channel 4 Valley Central News, Attorney Ricardo Barrera shared his insights on the recent expansion of the ALPR (Automatic License Plate Readers) program. The plate scanners are now in various places around the county as well as being mounted in some police cars.
These license plate scanners are being used by law enforcement officers in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas to help identify law breakers, such as reported amber alerts and stolen vehicles. Although the intention is good, there are certain aspects that need to be considered.
Attorney Ricardo Barrera says law-enforcement is relying too heavily on automated systems and also states, “I’ll tell you this will be used wrongly. There is no doubt in my mind, having experience of 15 years in criminal defense. It is just going to happen.”
He believes that it’s important that people aren’t replaced by software and technology advancements, saying there has to be a person to be held accountable about their actions and what policies they’re following. He adds that all case law on the subject says that mass surveillance of individuals must have judicial authority.
“It’s likely that that same trend could continue. With something of this importance, when it comes to the liberty interest and privacy of people, I think we can’t leave it up to the software. We can’t leave it up to artificial intelligence.”
Authority Sheriff Garza says scanned license plate information is not saved and there’s a record created every time a deputy wants to get information about a plate or vehicle. Garza adds that information about a vehicle already has to be in the DPS (Department of Public Safety) database.
Barrera says he has no problem with law-enforcement using the latest technology, but there should always be someone who can explain to a court what they did and why they did it.
See the Channel 4 Valley Central News report here.
For legal representation in Texas call The Barrera Law Firm at 956-428-2822 or reach out to us online.
