License plate readers, or LPRs, are cameras used by law enforcement agencies to monitor vehicles and track the movements of people wanted for crimes. The presence of these cameras in Bowling Green and Warren County has led to some concerns being raised to local government and online over how data is collected and stored by the cameras.

The cameras are operated by the company Flock Safety. Currently, 12 cameras are in operation in Warren County and ten are in use within city limits.

Cameras of this type have become commonplace around Kentucky and the United States. According to Flock’s website, over 5,000 law enforcement agencies in more than 6,000 communities across the U.S. utilize LPRs.

Local resident Tony Nelson addressed the Warren County Fiscal Court on Dec. 18, expanding on concerns with the cameras.

Nelson told magistrates that many are concerned over what they see as inadequate testing of the cameras before they are installed and urged officials to consider reviewing the cameras.

“We are asking Warren County to pause the system pending a review from a public safety committee,” he said.

A post was made on Facebook on Dec. 11 that outlines some of the concerns over LRPs. As of Thursday afternoon, the post has garnered more than 740 likes, over 800 comments and nearly 300 shares.

The post says Flock is “building a dangerous nationwide mass-surveillance infrastructure.” Comments express concern over what some say is giving up rights to privacy in exchange for security and one comment asks when the technology will turn into “facial recognition cameras.”

“Obviously, from the number of times this post has been shared, there is a great concern over the function, safety, legality and future of this system,” Nelson said.

The City of Bowling Green said no complaints have been received about the cameras.

Tommy Loving, head of the Bowling Green-Warren County Drug Task Force, spoke to the Daily News on how the cameras work.

He said the cameras take photos of every car that passes by a camera. The back of the car and its license plate are photographed, and the data is stored by Flock for 30 days before it’s deleted.

“I’ve never seen a photo from Flock that would enable you to identify who’s in the car, whatsoever,” Loving said. ” … It’s not even positioned to do that.”

He said the cameras in Bowling Green and Warren County have been in place for roughly ten months. They are not used to enforce speed limits, but are instead used to identify vehicles reported stolen or cars linked to people wanted for crimes.

Loving said since the cameras went up locally, they have helped law enforcement find people linked to three local murder cases along with one murder case from Ohio.

“It’s what I’d call a reactive system, not a proactive system,” Loving said. “You have to have done something for the car to be entered in the system … and then it notifies us that you’re in a certain car on a certain street, headed a certain direction.”

The cameras only notify law enforcement when “there’s a criminal passing by,” Loving said.

He said the cameras are there solely for the purpose of solving crime, and there are hopes that more will be implemented down the road.

Loving assured the community that law enforcement is not doing mass-surveillance on the public.

“We’re not out there scoping through license plates and seeing who’s driving up and down a certain road — that’s just not the purpose,” he said. “Basically, if you’re not a criminal, this shouldn’t be a problem for you.”