With caution, license plate readers will help

In December, the city council OK’d the purchase of 15 cameras that will be used by the Police Department to read license plates.
The department said the cameras will come in handy when identifying vehicles used in the commission of a crime.
The department insists that the cameras will not be used to spy on people or to profile individuals; nor will the information be shared with other police agencies.
It’s going to cost the city a little over $53,000 to purchase and install the cameras throughout town.
Critics, which include the American Civil Liberties Union, are not buying that assurance by the police department, and suggest photos will, indeed, be used to profile innocent people. They also say other police agencies could overrule Hamtramck, and view recordings for their own purposes.
We share that same concern.
But we also believe the cameras can be valuable tools in identifying the vehicles that criminals use, and thus be helpful in solving cases that could otherwise leave investigators empty-handed.
One of the hurdles investigators have to clear is getting witnesses to talk. There’s a “no snitch” ethos among many. Part of that refusing to cooperate with investigators stems from witnesses who fear being harmed by the suspects.
The cameras are worth a shot for proving they can indeed be useful tools, and not be used to abuse the privacy of individuals.
Posted Jan. 12, 2024