It’s a question that deserves more attention than it typically receives. The cameras capturing speeding violations and red-light runners are also capturing license plates, time stamps and location data. In an era of growing concern about surveillance and data privacy, how that information is handled can determine whether a community embraces a safety program or rejects it outright.
The distinction matters more than many realize. Some enforcement technologies are designed as open-ended data collection systems, capturing plate reads continuously, building searchable databases that law enforcement can query for purposes beyond traffic safety. Others take a fundamentally different approach, collecting only what’s needed to adjudicate a specific violation and nothing more.
At Verra Mobility, we’ve built our systems around a simple principle: The data belongs to our local customers, not to us. When our cameras capture a speeding violation or a red-light infraction, we use automatic license plate recognition for one narrow purpose, identifying the registered vehicle owner so that the specific violation can be processed — and this information isn’t allowed to be accessed until after the event has been approved both by the reviewer and the city’s authorizing agency. We’re not building databases of driving patterns. We’re not creating “hot plate” lists that predict where certain vehicles might appear. We’re not enabling queries that have nothing to do with the original safety mission. Our technology is designed to enforce traffic regulations set by local municipalities that keep residents safe.
SECURITY BY DESIGN
The information our systems collect is encrypted end-to-end. If someone were to physically steal a camera unit and its associated storage hardware from a street corner, they would find nothing usable. The data is protected at every point in the chain.
Access to the system is tightly controlled through role-based permissions. Every login is monitored and logged. There’s no circumstance where someone accesses violation data without that access being recorded and attributable to a specific authorized user.
Once a violation has been fully adjudicated and the citation issued, any appeals resolved, payment processed or case closed, then the data can be expunged. We retain information only as long as necessary for the program’s legitimate purposes, not indefinitely “just in case” someone might want to query it later.
LOCAL CONTROL, LOCAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Perhaps most importantly, our clients maintain ownership and control of their data. Cities and counties operating these programs aren't handing their residents’ information over to a third party that might use it for other purposes or share it with entities the jurisdiction never authorized.
This matters enormously for local governments navigating their own privacy laws and public records requirements. When a municipality operates an automated enforcement program, they need confidence that they’re not inadvertently creating data flows that could put them at odds with state privacy statutes or their own disclosure policies.
LEARNING FROM THREE DECADES OF EXPERIENCE
The automated enforcement industry has evolved considerably over its 30-year history. Early programs that once didn’t focus on data and privacy now put this need and requirement at the forefront of their programs. California’s recent legislation offers a useful example. The framework established by AB 645 for speed safety programs, and subsequently extended to work zone and red-light enforcement, includes some of the most protective privacy provisions to date.
These types of frameworks show that we are building programs that communities can trust. When people know their information won’t be used for purposes beyond the safety mission they signed up for, they’re more likely to accept the program as legitimate.
THE STAKES OF GETTING THIS RIGHT
Traffic enforcement technology will continue advancing. The policy questions around data privacy and local control aren’t going away. If anything, they’re becoming more pressing as concerns about surveillance and data consolidation grow across the political spectrum.
For local governments evaluating these programs, the questions are worth asking directly: Who owns the data your system collects? Is unnecessary data being collected? How long is it retained? Who can access it and for what purposes? Is it being aggregated into larger databases beyond your jurisdiction’s control?
The answers matter for program sustainability. They matter for legal compliance. And they matter for the fundamental relationship between government and the communities these programs are meant to serve.
Automated enforcement can be a powerful tool for reducing traffic deaths and serious injuries. But that mission is best served when the technology operates within clear boundaries, collecting only what's needed, protecting what's collected and ensuring that local governments remain in control of their own residents' information.
That’s the approach we’ve taken at Verra Mobility. We believe it’s the right foundation for programs that communities can support for long-term success.
About the Author
Will Barnow serves as Verra Mobility's Vice President of Government Relations, where he leads strategic partnerships to advance lifesaving and mobility-enhancing solutions in communities across the nation. With over two decades of experience spanning public service and transportation safety, Will brings extensive expertise in building successful public-private partnerships and advancing regulatory initiatives.
Prior to joining Verra Mobility, Will managed federal and regulatory affairs for Southwest Electric Cooperatives, where he developed key relationships between utility providers and government stakeholders. His distinguished career in public service includes strategic roles with the state of Arizona and Maricopa County Manager's Office, where he specialized in public safety and transportation initiatives. Will began his career in public service with the Roosevelt School District in Phoenix, where he managed after-school programs that laid the foundation for his commitment to community enhancement.
Will holds a Master's Degree in Public Administration and completed his undergraduate studies at Arizona State University. He is a Marvin Andrews and Jane Morris Fellow of Executive Management and a Flinn-Brown Fellow at the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership, recognitions that underscore his dedication to effective public leadership and civic engagement.
