Police Utilize License Plate Reader Technology to Retrieve 370Z from Owner's Residence the Day Following a 'Sideshow'

      Benicia Police Department via Facebook

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      Recently, police in Benicia, California, impounded a Nissan 370Z that was parked in a driveway, one day after the vehicle was reportedly “involved in a sideshow.” Authorities stated they tracked the car to Lake Herman Road in Benicia the morning before using a combination of “community cameras” and Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology. This incident serves as a reminder that in today's highly monitored environment, law enforcement can easily investigate any driving behavior they consider illegal, regardless of their physical presence at the location.

      The impounded 370Z was mentioned in an April 1 Facebook update from the department, discussing two distinct events labeled as “sideshows” that prompted police response. The first incident involved four cars and took place at a “business site in the Industrial Park.” Officials termed this a “small sideshow”—a term often used for events characterized by reckless driving and numerous spectators, sometimes referred to as “takeovers” when occurring on public streets. Five individuals, including three drivers, a bystander, and someone present with “tires and power tools,” were detained, which resulted in the three Miatas being towed as shown in the accompanying photo. Most comments responding to the “sideshow” characterization contest it, claiming the drivers were merely messing around on private property in an empty lot, leaving the exact activities of the group that night unclear.

      Regarding the 370Z, it is a different situation; however, like the Miatas, it has also been impounded for 30 days. Similar to the circumstances at the parking lot, police have not specified the actions of the 370Z—stating simply that it was “involved in a sideshow.” While such sideshows can pose dangers to the public and warrant intervention, not every instance of spirited driving amounts to a sideshow. It seems Benicia police favor that terminology to justify vehicle seizures. In this case, they utilized ALPR technology to locate their target.

      ALPR cameras can be installed in various locations, such as police vehicles, streetlights, highway overpasses, and buildings. They scan and capture all visible license plates, allowing investigators to track the movements of vehicles, even when there is no direct visual evidence. By connecting various feeds along with ALPR technology, police were able to find the 370Z parked outside a home in the nearby town of Pittsburg.

      ALPRs, like other forms of public surveillance, have faced criticism from privacy and justice advocates. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) reported that 80 government entities in California recorded an astounding 1.6 billion license plate scans in 2022. Additionally, the EFF found that 99.9% of that data was, unsurprisingly, “unrelated to any public safety interest.” Nonetheless, it remains available to authorities for monitoring individuals' daily habits and can be exploited by individuals with malicious intent who find weaknesses in institutional data management systems, using that sensitive information against individuals. “The drive to ‘collect it all’ continues to take precedence over the duty to ‘protect it all,’” the EFF's article appropriately cautions.

      Meanwhile, some companies, such as Flock, which supply ALPR cameras to municipalities, have declined to permit independent assessments or audits of their systems. Nevertheless, Flock claims to be committed to “checks and balances to ensure the ethical use of [its] technology,” which also employs artificial intelligence and machine learning.

      These cameras are omnipresent and are monitoring vehicles, including yours and mine. They were observing this 370Z, though police have not disclosed what was captured. The official statement from authorities claims that this purple Nissan was “involved in a sideshow,” and purportedly recorded footage supports this assertion. Consequently, it has been towed directly from the driveway.

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