Deobfuscating State Surveillance

Use of Automated Licence Plate Recognition Technology by the Victoria Police Department

Item

Victoria Police Department Re.pdf

Zotero

Author

British Columbia Office of Commissioner of Information and Privacy

Abstract Note

1.0 PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF REPORT 1.1 Introduction

1. This investigation is about the use of Automated Licence Plate Recognition ("ALPR") technology by the Victoria Police Department ("VICPD"). ALPR uses cameras to photograph vehicles in order to identify the licence plate number of the vehicle. VICPD mounts cameras on a patrol car and records the licence plate numbers of vehicles that pass by the car. This information is then compared against a database maintained by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police ("RCMP") which lists licence plate numbers associated with individuals who are of interest to police.

2. In addition to the licence plate number, the ALPR system records the geographic location where the image was collected, and the time that it was collected. As a result, VICPD creates a record of where and when many drivers in Victoria have been on any given day. Over time, this has the potential to amass a large volume of information about individuals, most of whom are of no interest to police. In this report I examine the collection, use, storage, and disclosure of this information by VICPD.

Date

November 15, 2012

Extra

20 pages.

Publisher

British Columbia Office of Commissioner of Information and Privacy

Short Title

Victoria Police Department Re.pdf

Title

Use of Automated Licence Plate Recognition Technology by the Victoria Police Department

Attachment Title

Victoria Police Department Re.pdf

Collection

Citation

British Columbia Office of Commissioner of Information and Privacy, “Use of Automated Licence Plate Recognition Technology by the Victoria Police Department,” Deobfuscating State Surveillance, accessed November 23, 2024, https://surveillance.glendon.yorku.ca/items/show/850.