Standardizing Automated Licence Plate Recognition Policy in Canadian Policing

Abstract

Automated licence plate recognition (ALPR), a popular policing tool is minimally regulated in Canada. I document historical and contemporary patterns of ALPR use and procedures governing ALPR through a national survey of all municipal, provincial, federal, and First Nations police services across Canada. A content analysis was used to identify key themes in the collected procedures. Themes include ALPR purpose, retention, proactive planning, information access, data modification, data security, expectations of users, public education, and training. Themes from service procedures are situated against Canadian and international ALPR guidelines to identify all the content that should be included in a comprehensive ALPR procedure. This comprehensive framework will contribute to the standardized and evidence-based use of ALPR in Canada.