Delivering on a promise to do more outreach on the topic, City Council Member Mackenzie Kelly will be holding a virtual community meeting today about the potential return of license plate readers. The city’s License Plate Reader Program was cut in 2020 as part of the process to “reimagine public safety.” Austin police say that the readers are invaluable to their operations and they would like to see them back. However, criminal justice reform leaders and privacy advocates have concerns about the way they are used and the data they collect. Those wishing to join the meeting, which will take place at 5:00 p.m., can access it at this link, using the password “COAapd” and the event number 2485 475 9492. Kelly and representatives from the Austin Police Department will be in attendance.
Elizabeth Pagano is the editor of the Austin Monitor. More by Elizabeth Pagano