Based on the data analyzed by the EFF from Oakland PD's ALPR vehicles …
1. Their use doesn't seem to be concentrating in crime areas (even vehicular crime). Instead, they're used more in minority and poor neighborhoods.
2. They don't seem to be diligent about not recording license plates when they leave Oakland city limits.
3. They seem to have some significant accuracy issues.
4. They do sweep up everyone's license plate (within the bounds of the previous point), regardless of whether they are suspects or passing citizens, or whether the vehicle carrying it is in an investigation or just cruising off to lunch.
If Oakland is typical, it's no wonder other cities are resisting opening up their data, claiming that it's not subject to Open Records laws because the data is part of "investigations," and that it's more important that the data be kept secret than that the public know about it (for unspecified reasons).
