Aberdeen City Council pulls plug on license plate-reader discussion

Public feedback to mayor's informal poll overwhelmingly opposed to cameras

Aberdeen will not pursue an offer from Axon to provide a license plate-reading camera to the Aberdeen Police Department. (Photo courtesy of Axon)

The Aberdeen City Council no longer plans to discuss the placement of license-plate reading cameras in town, and proposals to use them have been shelved.

Meanwhile, South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley is advocating for the drafting of legislation to ensure license plate-reader technology is used appropriately and has regulations to protect public safety.

The purpose of a license plate-reader camera in a fixed location is to capture an image of a plate and store it for a set period of time. That information can be accessed by law enforcement working on specific cases. Aberdeen Police Chief Tanner Jondahl said the details can also be compared against a national hotlist, which includes vehicles affiliated with crimes like stolen vehicles and missing children.

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