A civil liberties organization is threatening to sue Coral Gables if the city decides to keep its license-plate readers, which residents feel are “incredibly invasive,” according to a letter delivered to leaders of the Florida city on Tuesday.
The city has been installing license-plate readers since 2011 as part of its crime-fighting initiatives but many feel it is a waste of money and invasion of privacy, the Miami New Times reported.
In retaliation, the Washington, D.C.-based New Civil Liberties Alliance handed city officials a final demand letter on behalf of local resident Raul Mas Canosa, who said the cameras were unreasonable.
“Please justify why you spent $3 million tracking the movements of not just Coral Gables residents but everyone going up and down U.S. 1 and then giving it to a private vendor and keeping it for three years,” he demanded from the city, according to the New Times.
At issue is that the city retains license-plate photos for three years. Additionally, the cameras are seen as a violation to drivers’ Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable search and seizure.
Earlier this year, Benjamin Stevenson of the American Civil Liberties Union noted that the data collected from Coral Gables license plate recognition system was enough to map basic movements of every car-owning resident in the city, The Miami Herald reported.
He said residents had a reason to be concerned about their privacy, as the data collected over several months could tell a lot about a person’s life.
Coral Gables Police Chief Ed Hudak argued on Tuesday that the data was being retained in order to ensure the city remained a safe passthrough.
“We’re not looking to keep data and go back and mine it,” he said.
City leaders added that the cameras had helped them track down several unnamed violent criminals.
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