POUGHKEEPSIE – There are 64 cameras throughout Dutchess County that are designed to capture license plate numbers as vehicles drive past the lens. The cameras are part of the joint venture between Dutchess County Sheriff Kirk Imperati and DA Anthony Parisi, known as the ; ARTCIC.
As part of the ARTCIC system, Automatic License Plate Readers (LPRs) and they are strategically placed throughout Dutchess County to assist law enforcement agencies in the county to quickly respond to crimes or potential emergencies. The publicly owned locations of the LPRs are published on a dedicated website by the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office as part of an in-depth transparency portal at ARTCIC.org. Cameras that are linked into the ARTCIC system but are privately owned or hosted on private property are omitted from the public to protect the identity of those who are assisting law enforcement. “Property owners have the legal authority to permit equipment on their own property, and these installations comply with applicable laws and regulations,” said Sheriff’s Office Captain John Watterson. “The Sheriff’s Office does not circumvent local governments when partnering with willing property owners to enhance public safety and the property owners who assist the Sheriff’s Office always provide written approval and are consulted about the project and subsequent deployment of resources.”
The cameras have been in use in Dutchess County since 2007 and have been an invaluable tool in solving a major case that involved the murder of an entire family in Southern Dutchess, a murder in the City of Poughkeepsie, and recently prevented an emotionally disturbed woman who had threatened to kill her child and bury her at a local college campus. With the assistance of the LPRs and ARTCIC, law enforcement was able to save the child within minutes of first being alerted to the threat, according to DCSO Chief Deputy Steve Reverri.
The LPRs, according to Reverri, only read license plates and vehicles. “There is no facial recognition, and prohibitions are in place. The cameras cannot be used for immigration enforcement (ICE), traffic enforcement, harassment or intimidation, or usage based solely on a protected class including race, sex, and religion, and personal use is strictly forbidden.”. Reverri noted that the collected data is available to the linked law enforcement agencies for 30 days before it is automatically deleted from the network.
District Attorney Anthony Parisi said, “Public trust is the foundation of effective public safety. From the very beginning, we recognized that any use of technology such as License Plate Readers must be accompanied by meaningful transparency, clear policies, and strong accountability. That is why we created the , giving the public unprecedented insight into how this technology is used.” Parisi also added “Unlike virtually any other jurisdiction in the country, members of the public can independently review audit data through our portal, allowing them to see how the system is being accessed and ensuring that every search is subject to oversight and accountability. We believe transparency should not simply be promised, it should be demonstrated. Our goal is to provide law enforcement with modern tools that help solve violent crimes, locate missing and endangered persons, recover stolen vehicles, and protect our communities, while at the same time safeguarding the privacy and constitutional rights of every resident. The transparency measures we have implemented reflect our commitment to earning and maintaining the public’s trust through openness, accountability, and responsible use of technology.”
The full explanation of the LPRs by Chief Deputy Reverri can be found in the video above or by .
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