The Breckenridge Police Department uses Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology to enhance public safety and assist criminal investigations. ALPR helps officers recover stolen vehicles, locate missing and endangered persons, identify suspect vehicles connected to criminal investigations, parking scofflaws, and develop investigative leads more quickly and efficiently.

Like fingerprints, DNA, surveillance cameras, and body-worn cameras, ALPR is simply another investigative tool that helps officers solve crimes and protect the community.

ALPR cameras capture:

• A photograph of a vehicle that is visible from a public roadway.
• The vehicle's license plate number.
• Vehicle characteristics such as make, model, color, and body style.
• The date, time, and location where the vehicle was observed.

The system does not identify who is driving the vehicle, who owns the vehicle, or why the vehicle is in a particular location.

No.

The Breckenridge Police Department does not use ALPR technology to monitor the daily movements of law-abiding residents or visitors or to create travel profiles.

The system identifies vehicles—not people.

Yes.

License plates are displayed in public and are visible to anyone lawfully present on a public roadway, including other motorists, pedestrians, business owners, and law enforcement officers.

ALPR technology simply automates the recognition of information that could otherwise be observed and recorded by a person standing in the same location.

No.

An ALPR alert is only an investigative lead.

Before taking any enforcement action, officers must:

• Visually verify the license plate and vehicle characteristics.
• Confirm the alert remains active through official law enforcement databases when appropriate.
• Independently establish the legal basis for any detention or enforcement action.

An ALPR alert alone is not enough to justify stopping or arresting someone.

The Breckenridge Police Department retains ALPR information for 30 days.

This limited retention period provides investigators sufficient time to identify investigative leads while significantly reducing the amount of historical information maintained by the Department.

Access is limited to authorized law enforcement personnel conducting legitimate law enforcement activities.

Every investigative search is logged and auditable.

Absolutely not.

Department policy strictly prohibits personal or unauthorized use of the system.

Every investigative search must be associated with a legitimate law enforcement purpose and is subject to supervisory review and audit.

Misuse may result in disciplinary action and, when appropriate, criminal or civil penalties.

Information may be shared with other authorized criminal justice agencies only for legitimate law enforcement purposes and in accordance with applicable law, Department policy, and authorized system permissions. Currently, we are only sharing data with specific agencies within the state of Colorado.

Every law enforcement technology has the potential for misuse if appropriate safeguards are not in place.

The same is true for criminal history databases, driver's license records, body-worn cameras, computer aided dispatch systems, records management systems, and many other law enforcement data bases and technologies.

The question is not whether technology could be misused—it is whether there are strong policies, training, auditing, supervisory oversight, and accountability to ensure it is used properly.

The Breckenridge Police Department believes those safeguards are in place.

The Department has implemented numerous safeguards, including:

• 30-day data retention.
• Restricted access to authorized users.
• Mandatory training.
• Legitimate law enforcement purpose required for investigative searches.
• Auditable user activity.
• Supervisory oversight.
• Required verification of every ALPR alert before enforcement action.
• Department policies governing acceptable use.
• Accountability for misuse.

Yes.

Across Colorado and throughout the United States, ALPR technology has helped recover stolen vehicles, identify suspect vehicles involved in violent crimes, locate missing and endangered persons, assist in AMBER Alerts, and generate investigative leads that have helped solve serious crimes.

For a community like Breckenridge; with millions of annual visitors and significant seasonal traffic—ALPR technology provides investigators with valuable information that can assist in protecting residents and visitors alike.

Absolutely.

We recognize that reasonable people may have different views regarding emerging technologies.

The Department welcomes questions, public dialogue, and opportunities to explain how the system works, what information it collects, and the safeguards that govern its use. We remain committed to transparency and will continue to engage with our community regarding technologies that support public safety.

Our commitment is to use ALPR technology responsibly, lawfully, transparently, and with appropriate safeguards while continuing to protect the privacy, rights, and safety of everyone in our community.