ABC 7 Chicago aired a segment about the growing and unregulated use of automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) by law enforcement. ALPRs are cameras mounted on police cars that can scan all of the license plates in their vicinity, giving police the ability to perform widespread location surveillance. The ACLU of Illinois worked to advance legislation to regulate the use of ALPRs by limiting the purposes of their use and setting guidelines for data retention. The bill, sponsored by State Representative Peter Breen, passed in the Illinois House but did not advance out of the Senate. ABC 7 spoke with Breen and the ACLU of Illinois' Director of Communications and Public Policy Ed Yohnka.
