Mar 13, 2008 11:13 pm US/Central
Target Creates License Plate Reading Technology
(WCCO)
New technology is allowing law enforcement cars to go looking for trouble. Computers now installed in cruisers automatically run license plates and alert officers to wanted drivers.
Police in Lakeville are testing that technology right now, but you might be surprised who came up with it: Target.
The Minnesota-based corporation is working on technology that would take pictures of license plates that come into store parking lots.
Last month, Target donated to the Lakeville Police Department the technology that reads and runs license plates through a crime database.
Target doesn't have any of the cameras in place right now in Minnesota but could by the end of the year. They say they will only be used to help cops solve crimes.
"It starts with the premise that everybody has the right to work or shop in an environment that's completely safe and free from harm," said Tony Heredia of Target.
Target officials said it won't be used for marketing, and won't be linked to any other database.
However, that still worries some concerned about how easy it has become to collect data.
"The reality is nobody wants to really live their lives as though they live in a house of glass," said Chuck Samuelson, Executive Director of Minnesota's American Civil Liberties Union.
The license reading technology isn't perfect, for example if a camera goes by a fence, it reads 111111.
So Target said it'll take time to figure out the privacy issues and other technical bugs.
Target also has to figure out how to store images that the camera captures, and how long they'll be saved.
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