🔒Controversial Flock cameras are found across CT. What to know.

Towns across Connecticut are facing questions and concerns from residents about their use of automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, sold by companies like Flock Safety.

The cameras are continuously monitoring, capturing images of passing vehicles that are then used by police departments to investigate crimes like stolen cars and missing people. They serve a different purpose than traffic cameras, which are used to monitor activity like speeding or red light violations.

Here’s what to know about these cameras and how they are used.

What are ALPRs used for?

These cameras capture images of passing vehicles and record information such as license plate number, vehicle make, model, color, location and the date and time the vehicle was photographed. Some systems can also identify characteristics of a vehicle even when its license plate is not visible.

Police can search ALPR systems for vehicles connected to an investigation or receive alerts when a vehicle on a law enforcement watch list passes a camera. Investigators can also search for vehicles that were in a particular area when a crime occurred.

But because the cameras, which don’t use facial recognition technology, capture information from every passing vehicle, they have raised questions about privacy and surveillance.

The companies that sell the cameras, like Flock Safety, have examples on their websites of times the cameras have proven useful to police. But there is little information available about how effective the technology is in Connecticut specifically.

Who determines where these are installed?

Individual cities and towns decide whether to install the cameras, which technology to use and how long to keep the systems.

That means the number of cameras, the vendor and the policies governing their use can vary from one community to another. A Flock Safety spokesperson recently told Connecticut Public that at least half of the state’s police departments use some of the company’s services, including the license plate readers and drones.

Some Connecticut communities have in recent months paused or reconsidered additional installations amid resident concerns about privacy and data sharing.

Gov. Ned Lamont has also asked municipalities to pause new camera installations while state officials develop additional guidance.

Are ALPRs the same as traffic cameras?

No, and automated license plate readers are not used to enforce traffic laws.

ALPRs are different than traffic cameras because they are not triggered by an action like speeding. The cameras continuously capture vehicle information.

How long is the information kept?

Privacy advocates have raised concerns about what happens when individual vehicle sightings are collected over time. A network of cameras can potentially provide a broader picture of where each vehicle has traveled.

A new law in Connecticut was signed in May and includes some provisions that go into effect in October and beyond. It attempts to address those concerns by limiting how long ALPR information can be kept and how it can be used. Under the law, agencies generally must delete data after 21 days unless it is tied to an active criminal investigation.

Can police share the information?

Yes, but there are restrictions.

The new Connecticut law prohibits ALPR data from being used for immigration enforcement. It also restricts its use in certain investigations involving reproductive healthcare, gender-affirming healthcare and activities protected by the First Amendment.