HOA license plate readers

Started by BillC17 • 10 replies • 456 views

💬 Join us to post & get advice from 50,000 HOA & Condo leaders.

⚡ Takes 30 seconds

Already a member? Log in

BillC17 (Texas)
Posts: 26

Posted:

I saw this article and I am wondering if anyone has been approached about installing license plate readers in their neighborhood?

https://theintercept.com/2023/03/22/hoa-surveillance-license-plate-police-flock/

"Flock Safety, which began as a startup in 2017 in Atlanta and is now valued at approximately $3.5 billion, has targeted homeowners associations, or HOAs, in partnership with police departments, to become one of the largest surveillance vendors in the nation. "

MelissaP1 (Alabama)
Posts: 13,836

Posted:

Honestly, that seems too much. It's not my HOA's job to enforce the law. It is the Police.

Former HOA President

BillC17 (Texas)
Posts: 26

Posted:

Not the HOA's job to enforce the law, but many people are concerned about security so I can understand the motivation. That's why there are gated communities.

Also if there's a burglary or some other crime in the neighborhood it is nice for the police to have some actual clues to follow up on. You could have a record of automobile comings and goings, one of those might be the culprit.

MichaelT21 (Arkansas)
Posts: 200

Posted:

These seem too much like big brother to me. Also, they don't provide data to the HOA Board members, rather, they provide it to the local PD. You would need a cooperative PD supportive of such devices for them to do any good.

MelissaP1 (Alabama)
Posts: 13,836

Posted:

Do NOT assume these measures equal prosecution or "proof" of a crime to a police officer. Police ONLY create charges. It will be up to the court to drop or apply those charges. Sometimes there are steps people take that are not admissable in court. Plus who will own the footage? This is something to talk to a lawyer and your local police about the laws about having such an option.

Former HOA President

BillC17 (Texas)
Posts: 26

Posted:

I'm pretty sure there's no law against photographing cars passing by on the street and identifying the license plate. And in fact you can build a device yourself that does this for $100 or so. It does seem kind of invasive but if a community is having crime problems it is worth considering.

https://magpi.raspberrypi.com/articles/anpr-car-spy-raspberry-pi

LetA (Nevada)
Posts: 2,679

Posted:

Unfortunately Here in Nevada we are being Californicated, 99% of all traffic violations are no longer "criminal offenses"
So you can now commit as many moving violations as you want and not pay the costs and there isn't a thing can be
done.
I have a few hundred of drive cam videos from my vehicles just in my community alone of near serious collisions because
jaggoffs blow the stop sign at the end of the street where the community gates are. Chose your lawmakers wisely, it's only
getting worse out there.

Heck, our local jurisdiction can't prosecute a drunk drive that drove 157 MPH hitting the rear end of a car that
caused it to burst into flames incinerating the woman driver and her dog.

WendyM5 (North Carolina)
Posts: 1,522

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By BillC17 on 03/24/2023 2:40 PM
I'm pretty sure there's no law against photographing cars passing by on the street and identifying the license plate. And in fact you can build a device yourself that does this for $100 or so. It does seem kind of invasive but if a community is having crime problems it is worth considering.

https://magpi.raspberrypi.com/articles/anpr-car-spy-raspberry-pi

that device only works in day time, not night. but you can set one up for about $700 instead of the $7000 that a company would charge. one needs 2 cameras

vis ta vie

ElaineI (Georgia)
Posts: 33

Posted:

So I was reading all the comments and there has been some pushback in my community on Flock Cameras. Where did you read that they only work during the day?

BillC17 (Texas)
Posts: 26

Posted:

As I was looking through various projects online that detect speeding I came across a couple that look pretty easy to implement, and I have ordered the parts. The one I will try simply measures the amount of time it takes for the front of a vehicle to move across the field of view of an inexpensive video camera, and performs a calculation to determine the speed. The application can save a snapshot of a vehicle that was speeding, and that photo might even capture the license plate.

Initially I'm just hoping to gather info about the number of vehicles that are speeding and how fast they go. We could use it to press the city to install some additional speed limit signs for example, and we could see if that helped.

But I'm wondering if the HOA itself could go farther. There's a clause in the restrictions that prohibits "generally recognized noxious or offensive activity", and you could argue that speeding through the neighborhood is a dangerous behavior which falls into that broad category. It seems like the HOA could reasonably be able send an offending resident a polite letter asking them to slow down. A more aggressive step would be to impose a fine for repeat offenders.

Before doing anything like that we would check with legal council and put it up for discussion amongst the residents, but what do folks here think?

LetA (Nevada)
Posts: 2,679

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By ElaineI on 04/04/2023 7:34 AM
So I was reading all the comments and there has been some pushback in my community on Flock Cameras. Where did you read that they only work during the day?

It seems the one committing said offenses are the biggest crybabies. Fines aren't high enough. Sadly there are no repercussions anymore.
One used to get demerits on their license for too many violations, not anymore. No wonder there are so many $#1TTY drivers.

🎯 You've read this entire discussion

Join the conversation with 50,000 HOA & Condo Leaders:

✓ Ask follow-up questions
✓ Share your experience
✓ Get expert advice
✓ Access 350,000 discussions

Create Free Account →

⚡ Takes 30 seconds

Already a member? Log in here