License plate readers are coming to a busy intersection in northeast Johnson County.
The Merriam City Council on Monday voted 7-1 to approve a $50,000 expense to install license plate readers at the Shawnee Mission Parkway and Antioch Road intersection.
Councilmember Reuben Cozmyer cast the lone dissenting vote, citing concerns about access third parties may have to data through the license plate readers.
Several Johnson County cities like Mission, Mission Hills, Shawnee and Merriam itself have already installed license plate readers at busy intersections across the county.
This specific intersection has seen major redevelopment recently, with Merriam Grand Station replacing the former Kmart and another plan in the works — that features a grocery store — to revamp the former Antioch Library building (which has now been demolished).
The readers are going on all four sides of the intersection
- Chief Darren McLaughlin told the city council on June 9 that the city already has intersection cameras, not license plate readers, at Shawnee Mission Parkway and Antioch Road.
- The intersection cameras do not cover all four sides of the intersection, he said.
- Under the approved contract, license plate readers and intersection cameras will go on all four sides of what McLaughlin said is one of the busiest thoroughfares in the city.
- “This is not a new request other than the location it’s at,” McLaughlin said. “Given the commercial buildout that we’re having at Shawnee Mission Parkway and Antioch, it is one of if not the busiest intersection in our city.”
License plate readers are used in criminal investigations
- McLaughlin said the city uses license plate readers at its busiest intersections for criminal investigations, such as for monitoring stolen vehicles and active warrants.
- As for the intersection cameras, McLaughlin said those are “used to monitor traffic conditions” which can help in active investigations.
- License plate reader data is stored on Merriam servers for 180 days, but it is only accessible to the city’s police department, he said. The department does not share this data with other entities.
- “It’s a tool like everything else, tools can be abused, we have policies in place,” McLaughlin said, after stating he has no intention to try to build a license plate reader record database. “I’m going to make sure that while I’m here that we don’t abuse those tools like any other tools that the citizens are kind enough to give us.”
The city council weighs in
- Cozmyer, who voted no, asked about other license plate readers in the city and said he’s generally apprehensive about the technology and the network of license plate readers.
- Still, Cozmyer said he did like hearing from McLaughlin that the Merriam Police Department will follow policy and delete license plate reader data after 180 days.
- Councilmember Jason Silvers, who has previously voted against license plate readers, said a ride-along has changed his opinion on the tool.
- Silvers said that during his ride-along, officers used the license plate reader system to find a vehicle that may have had a juvenile inside.
- As several agencies were looking for the vehicle in order to find the juvenile, Silvers said seeing the system in action made him realize the need for it and, therefore, changed his opinion on license plate readers.
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