Crowd Opposes License Plate Recognition Technology in Kalispell
KALISPELL — On Monday night, around 40 residents gathered at Kalispell City Hall to voice their concerns about a proposed license plate recognition (LPR) system in the downtown area. The City Council listened to the community’s feedback, leading to a decision to remove a $70,000 allocation for the technology from the budget. The vote was 5-2, with council members Dustin Leftridge and Kari Gabriel opposing the motion.
For several years, a dedicated officer managed downtown parking by regularly checking vehicles and marking their tires. However, with the officer’s recent retirement, parking oversight became less consistent. The city suggested using LPR technology as a solution, which would involve a camera mounted on a vehicle that could monitor cars as it drove through the streets.
City Manager Jarod Nygren explained the intended system. “It’s not just a static camera; it would be on a vehicle, moving around and pinpointing the location of cars in real-time,” he said. This method would replace the previous practice of manually checking and marking tires.
However, many residents expressed significant concerns about the potential for misuse and privacy issues related to this technology. One resident highlighted incidents across the country where police or city officials faced disciplinary actions for improper use of similar systems.
Additionally, attendees pointed out problems with the accuracy of LPR technology, citing a national highway traffic safety report indicating that several case studies revealed challenges with performance.
The most pressing concern, however, seemed to be about personal privacy. As one resident passionately stated, “We are innocent until proven guilty. Having everyone surveilled suggests that everyone is suspected of wrongdoing.”
The council heard the residents’ strong opposition. Council member Sam Nunnally proposed a motion. “Let’s remove the LPR from this year’s budget,” he stated.
For the time being, the city will revert to manually marking tires while council members consider alternative solutions for downtown parking management.
