The Office of the Director of Police Accountability, or ODPA, hosted a community input session discussing Berkeley’s proposed implementation of Automated License Plate Readers, or ALPRs, last Thursday. During the meeting, an overview presentation was given on ALPRs, their legislative history, Berkeley Police Department’s proposed policies and the Police Accountability Board’s initial position on these policies. This presentation was followed by a Q&A and public comment session, spurring strong opinions both for and against the implementation of ALPRs. ALPRs are cameras that scan license plates automatically and convert images into text. The plate numbers are captured, put into databases and compared with law enforcement’s database of vehicles of interest. The police department can be notified when there is a match between the ALPR photo and a wanted vehicle. This allows officers to locate vehicles to aid in solving crime. “(ALPRs) compare license plate encounters with law enforcemen...