The Redmond Police Department (RPD) said they have installed Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) to alert authorities when a vehicle is linked to a crime, missing person report, or public safety threat.
“With tools like ALPR, we are able to act faster and more precisely to protect our community,” said Redmond Police Chief Darrell Lowe.
“It’s important to note that these technologies are not intended for general surveillance. We use them solely to track vehicles involved in crimes or emergencies, ensuring that privacy and individual rights are always respected,” Lowe said.
RPD says the technology has safeguards, including:
- Equipment is only in public areas
- No facial recognition or random surveillance.
- Data accessed is restricted to authorized personnel.
- All use of the system is logged and audited.
- Data from vehicles without an alert tag is neither retained nor stored.