What did Manchester vote to do?
CT News Junkie reported that the Manchester Board of Directors voted this week for the town to stop using its 18 automatic license-plate readers. The stationary ones are to be physically removed by the end of the year.
Town officials raised concerns about what they called "mass surveillance" of residents and about the current contract with Flock Safety. They said the town will turn off, cover or dismantle its 17 stationary cameras, stop using its mobile camera, and end its contract with Flock.
What changes for drivers in Manchester?
This vote covers Manchester's own plate readers. The reporting breaks them down this way:
- 17 stationary cameras: turned off, covered or dismantled
- 1 mobile camera: no longer used
- Stationary cameras: physically removed by the end of the year
CT News Junkie does not say how many of the stationary cameras will be dismantled rather than covered or turned off. Nothing in the reporting addresses cameras run by neighboring towns, the state, businesses or HOAs. You can check where readers are mapped on the camera map, and how plate readers work explains what the systems record.
Where does Manchester fit among other Connecticut towns?
Windsor, Killingworth and Ledyard ended their Flock contracts and turned off their readers earlier this year after residents voiced similar concerns. East Lyme voted to pause use of its cameras and review its contract. Milford turned off some but not all of its cameras while a panel reviews the city's camera use.
What is the state rule on plate reader data?
A Connecticut law that took effect Oct. 1 lets departments keep plate data for 21 days, unless there is an active investigation involving a specific vehicle. Officials have discussed shortening that period to 7 days.
About 70% of the state's police departments use some form of stationary plate readers, according to Milford Police Chief Keith Mello, who chairs the Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training Council. The CT POST Council has submitted its recommendations on automatic camera use to Gov. Ned Lamont, and the state Department of Transportation says it is reviewing them.
To see what a specific agency has published about its use, the agencies page lists transparency records where they exist.
What happens next?
The town's plan calls for the stationary readers to be physically removed by the end of the year. Lawmakers are expected to discuss plate readers and updated speed camera legislation when they reconvene in January.