What did South Haven's police chief tell the council?
WSJM reported that Police Chief Adam DeBoer gave the city council a presentation on how his department uses license plate reading cameras. The presentation came after about a month of questions from residents.
DeBoer said the readers would only be used to help investigate crimes. "We are not looking to put them in neighborhoods," he said. "We are not looking to track the average citizen's movement."
The council approved a ten-year contract with Axon in September. The contract covers:
- Body cameras
- Fleet cameras
- Interview cameras
- Drone technology
- 11 license plate readers in strategic locations around the city
Who can search South Haven's plate reader data?
DeBoer said only certified officers can search the reader data, and each officer has a unique login that higher-ups can check. Searches for personal reasons are prohibited, including curiosity searches and searches for family, friends or private interests.
Every search is logged. The department can go back and check whether each one had a law enforcement reason and whether that reason appears in the police report. After council members asked about sharing data between departments, DeBoer said outside agencies would need approval and their searches would be documented.
The cameras photograph a vehicle's rear plate at a specific time and intersection. They check plates against law enforcement watch lists, including stolen vehicles and vehicles linked to missing people or wanted suspects. DeBoer also said a policy still being developed would require officers to visually confirm a plate and verify it themselves before acting on an alert.
What changes for drivers in South Haven?
The Axon contract is the change described in the report, and it places 11 readers at strategic spots around the city. The report does not say when those readers start operating, so it does not say which intersections will be covered. Check the camera map for cameras already mapped in your area.
The report says nothing about readers run by other agencies, businesses or HOAs, so this story does not address them. How plate readers work explains what these cameras record.
What happens next?
The council took no action. DeBoer's presentation was part of a regular monthly update.
The report gives no date for the policy to be finished or for the readers to go live. Ask the council when the written policy will be public, and ask whether any outside agency has been approved to search the data. Published transparency records are listed on the agencies page.