NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, Mass. — The Town of North Attleborough voted unanimously on Monday night to pause automated license plate reader, or ALPR, cameras.
Town Manager Michael Borg said the police department has been directed to pause the cameras immediately, including all data collection and sharing with other agencies.
Borg said the town will be looking into how the technology should be governed.
“Public safety and privacy are not competing priorities. Through the Bylaw Subcommittee, we will examine data retention, access, sharing, oversight and accountability, and we will develop clear standards that reflect what this community needs and expects,” he wrote in a statement.
In recent weeks, more than 25 Massachusetts municipalities have ended, suspended, or declined to renew contracts with Flock Safety, according to the ACLU.
Concerns about surveillance, data privacy, government oversight, and alleged misuse of license plate reader systems have fueled public opposition statewide.
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