Automated license plate readers and other networked surveillance technologies have become increasingly valuable tools for law enforcement. These systems can help identify stolen vehicles, locate suspects, investigate serious crimes, and provide officers with information that previously would have taken substantial time and resources to obtain.

However, the same capabilities that make these systems valuable to law enforcement also create opportunities for serious individual misuse. A recent report identified at least 50 law-enforcement officers who were charged with or accused of using license plate reader systems for unauthorized purposes. In 26 of those cases, investigators alleged that officers used the technology to monitor wives, girlfriends, former partners, the new partners of former girlfriends, or women they wanted to meet. In one particularly egregious case, a woman discovered that her police officer ex-boyfriend had searched for her and her daughter approximately 600 times. The problem is not limited to any single vendor or technology. Similar concerns have existed for years with other sensitive law-enforcement databases, but automated surveillance systems greatly increase the amount of location information that can be searched quickly and across jurisdictions.

For that reason, I plan to introduce legislation to ban knowingly accessing or using an automated surveillance system, or information obtained through such a system, for an unauthorized personal or otherwise unlawful purpose.

This legislation would focus on the conduct of the individual user, rather than penalizing a law-enforcement agency or other organization for the independent misconduct of an employee or authorized user. Legitimate access undertaken for criminal investigations, public safety, missing-person cases, court-authorized purposes, or other lawful official duties would not be prohibited.

Technology can make law enforcement more effective, but public confidence in these tools depends on ensuring that access carries meaningful responsibility. Please join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation.