>> >>PEGGY: FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS LOCAL POLICE AND SHERIFFS HAVE SCANNED 36ÊMILLION
VEHICLE LOCATIONS TO AVERAGE ABOUT 14 SCANS FOR EVERY REGISTERED AUTOMOBILE IN THE COUNTY.
JON CAMPBELL JOINS ME WITH DETAILS ON HIS REPORT ABOUT LICENSE PLATE READERS.
JON, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE WOULD BE SURPRISED HOW MANY TIMES THEIR LICENSE PLATES WERE SCANNED.
WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT'D YOU FIND OUT ABOUT YOUR VERY OWN CAR?
>> >>JON CAMPBELL: WHEN I WENT TO SANDAG AND ASKED FOR MY OWN RECORDS I WAS TOLD MY CAR
HAD BEEN SCANNED ABOUT 24 TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR.
IT'S A LITTLE HIGHER THAN THE AVERAGE DRIVER IN THE COUNTY.
IT WAS A LITTLE SURPRISING.
>> >>PEGGY: THEY'RE WATCHING YOU, YOU KNOW THIS.
DESCRIBE WHAT THESE SCANNERS ARE LIKE AND BASICALLY HOW THEY WORK.
>> >>JON CAMPBELL: IT'S BASICALLY A SOPHISTICATED CAMERA DESIGNED TO SNAP A PICTURE OF A LICENSE
PLATE, IT USER CHARACTER RECOGNITION SOFTWARE TO TAKE THE LICENSE PLATE DATA OUT OF THERE,
TAGS IT WITH A GPS COORDINATE AND SAVES IT IN A DATABASE.
>> >>PEGGY: WHO MONITORS THIS DATABASE?
>> >>JON CAMPBELL: IT'S STORED BY A SANDAG, THE SAN DIEGO AREA ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS.
>> >>PEGGY: ALSO LAW ENFORCEMENT AS WELL.
>> >>JON CAMPBELL: YEAH, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT HAS THEIR OWN PARALLEL SYSTEM.
THE AGENCIES AND THE COUNTY THAT FEED INTO SANDAG'S SYSTEM ALL FEED INTO A CENTRALIZED
DATABASE.
>> >>PEGGY: SO LOCAL POLICE, SHERIFFS, BUT ALSO ON A NATIONAL LEVEL AS WELL, RIGHT?
FBI?
>> >>JON CAMPBELL: FEDERAL AGENTS HAVE ACCESS TO THE SANDAG DATABASE.
MOST OF THIS DATA IS COLLECTED BY LOCAL AGENCIES THOUGH.
>> >>PEGGY: HOW LONG IS THIS DATA KEPT?
BECAUSE I KNOW IN YOUR ARTICLE YOU MENTIONED THERE'S WHERE THE CRACKS LIE OF SOME OF THE
PROS AND CONS OF GATHERING AND MAPPING THIS DATA.
>> >>JON CAMPBELL: THE SANDAG KEEPS ITS DATA FOR A MAXIMUM OF TWO YEARS.
THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT PARALLEL SYSTEM HOLD ONS TO THE DATA FOR AN INDEFINITE PERIOD OF
TIME.
PRIVACY ADVOCATES, ACLU THE ELECTRONIC FRONTIERS WANT TO SEE A SHORTER RETENTION PERIOD.
>> >>PEGGY: AND BUT THE CON TO THAT IS THAT ACTUALLY YOU HAVE A GOOD EXAMPLE IN YOUR ARTICLE
OF HOW YOU MAYBE DON'T WANT TO GET RID OF IT TOO SOON BECAUSE THIS CAN HELP CAPTURE
CRIMINALS.
>> >>JON CAMPBELL: POLICE AGENCIES WOULD SAY IT'S HARD TO DETERMINE WHAT DATA IS GOING
TO BE USEFUL IN THE FUTURE FOR AN INVESTIGATION OF SOMETHING LIKE MURDER WHICH YOU KNOW DOESN'T
HAVE THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS.
SO IN THE CHASE OF JOHN GARDNER IT WAS MORE THAN 18 MONTHS AFTER THE DATA WAS CAPTURED
IT PROVED USEFUL IN THAT INVESTIGATION.
>> >>PEGGY: YOU MENTIONED POLICE ARE ABLE TO FIND WITNESSES TO A CRIME.
>> >>JON CAMPBELL: SURE, IT CAN BE USED FOR ALL DINEDS OF THINGS, AND FINDING WITNESSES
IS ONE OF THEM.
>> >>PEGGY: HOW ABOUT IF YOUR CAR IS STOLEN.
YOU'RE AN AVERAGE DRIVER AND YOUR CAR IS STOLEN CAN YOU GO TO SANDAG AND SAY USE THE SYSTEM
AND SEE WHAT'S IN THE NAIRLGD NEIGHBORHOOD.
>> >>JON CAMPBELL: IF YOU REPORT TD STOLEN THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE IT WOULD BE ADDED TO
HOT LIST A REALTIME SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS THE POLICE TO FLAG WANTED, STOLEN, YOU KNOW VEHICLES
THAT ARE OTHER WISE BEING LOOKED FOR.
SO YEAH, IT CAN CERTAINLY HELP TO FIND STOLEN CARS.
>> >>PEGGY: ABOUT HOW MANY SCANNERS ARE ON IN THE COUNTY AND HOW MUCH DO THEY COST?
>> >>JON CAMPBELL: THEY'RE ABOUT 56 SCANNERS FEEDING INTO SANDAG'S SYSTEM CURRENTLY.
THEY RANGE IN PRICE, BUT UP TO 25,000 DOLLARS.
IT SORT OF DEPENDS ON THE DEAL THAT'S STRUCK BETWEEN THE AGENCY AND THE VENDOR.
IS THERE ANY DATA SUGGESTING THE RED LIGHT CAMERAS I'M THINKING OFÊ WITH THESE SCANNERS
THAT THEY ARE COST EFFECTIVE.
>> >>JON CAMPBELL: WELL, I MEAN THAT SORT OF DEPENDS ON YOUR POINT OF VIEW.
I THINK THE POLICE WOULD SAY THIS REALLY HELPS THE INDIVIDUAL OFFICERS TO DO A LOT MORE.
SO IN THAT SENSE, SURE, IT COULD BE WORTH IT.
>> >>PEGGY: DOES THE ACLU WANT TO DO ANYTHING, ARE THEY SUING OR DO THEY JUSTÊ THEY REALLY
WANT TO ADJUST THE CONCERN.
>> >>JON CAMPBELL: THERE IS A NATION WOULD EFFORT BY THE ACLU TO GET MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT HOW LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS USE THE SYSTEMS.
THEY HAVEN'T PROPOSED ANY SPECIFIC LEGISLATION ON A FEDERAL LEVEL THAT I KNOW OF, BUT THEY'RE
CERTAINLY LOOKING AT WAYS TO STRIKE A BALANCE BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PRIVACY.
>> >>PEGGY: RIGHT, THERE'S THE IDEA THAT IF YOU'RE ON A PUBLIC STREET YOU HAVE NO EXPECTATION
OF PRIVACY, BUT THEN HOW FAR DOES THAT GO ESSENTIALLY?
>> >>JON CAMPBELL: RIGHT, I MEAN, IF THE ACLU ARGUES THAT WHEN YOU HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT
SCANS THAT YOU CAN REALLY RECONSTRUCT A GOOD DEAL OF INFORMATION ABOUT PEOPLE'S DAILY TRAVELS
AND THEIR DAILY ACTIVITIES.
>> >>PEGGY: WHETHER THEY'RE AT A CHURCH, A REHAB CENTER, AT A PLACE MAYBE THAT POLITICALÊ
>> >>JON CAMPBELL: SURE, EXACTLY.
WHERE YOU TRAVEL SAYS A LOT ABOUT WHO YOU ARE.
SO THEY'RE TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO MITIGATE THAT PRIVACY THREAT.
>> >>PEGGY: OKAY, WELL, JON CAMPBELL WITH CITY BEAT, ENJOYED YOUR STORY AND THANKS SO
MUCH FOR TALKING WITH US.
>> >>JON CAMPBELL: THANKS FOR HAVING ME.