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Lawrence J. McQuillan
Founder and Director, California Golden Fleece® Award


Jonathan Hofer
Report Author and Research Associate


 

Automated license plate reader (ALPR) advocates claim these high-tech cameras help law enforcement find car thieves, solve crimes, and even discover where and when crimes may happen ahead of time.

But a new report from Independent Institute, written by policy research associate Jonathan Hofer, tells a different story.

The truth is that ALPRs, besides being astronomically expensive (costing as much as $20,000 each), have seriously troubling error rates. In fact, one estimate showed these cameras misread one out of every 10 license plates…which adds up fast, considering ALPRs can scan 2,000 plates per minute.

This failure rate has already led to many instances of misidentification, false arrests, and even armed confrontations with law enforcement…with more to come.

Hofer insists public servants must do more to ensure ALPRs are used safely and effectively.

“Now out in the wild, ALPRs represent a significant risk to civil liberties,” writes Hofer.

For these invasive, ineffective, and expensive failings, the Independent Institute awards its thirteenth California Golden Fleece® Award—a dishonor given quarterly to California or local agencies or government projects that swindle taxpayers or break the public trust—to California cities that have adopted ALPRs, the California legislature, and the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center for failing to implement and maintain proper safeguards to protect California residents and visitors.

To find out more about the California Golden Fleece^® Awards, the Independent Institute, and how you can be a part of real solutions, visit us online or follow us on Twitter @CAGoldenFleece.