Local governments across the country are embracing Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) to fight crime. At the center of this trend is Flock Safety, an Atlanta-based tech startup. Flock promises an easy solution to property crime by installing AI-powered cameras on public roads. It sounds like a reasonable upgrade to traditional policing, but a massive backlash is growing over civil liberties and the misuse of public trust.

This debate is not new. Nearly two decades ago, when I served as the elected president of the Queen Anne’s County Commission in Maryland, our board faced a similar dilemma. A traffic camera company wanted to track speeding vehicles’ license plates in the county, and they also entertained proposing those crossing the Preston Lane Memorial Bay Bridge. The pitch focused entirely on safety. However, after listening to principled civil arguments from our constituents about privacy and government overreach, we shut the project down. We chose to protect individual liberty over automated tracking.