Residents press questions on license‑plate readers; police defend use and cite crime‑solving examples

An online commenter and residents raised privacy and misuse concerns about the township’s license‑plate readers and surveillance arrangements, asking how long data are stored, who can access it and whether agreements with vendors are subject to oversight. Christopher Nokowski urged the board to cancel the contract and return annual savings he said were $15,900, arguing the cameras enable broad surveillance and referencing national misuse examples.

The police chief responded that Middletown’s department uses license‑plate‑reader (LPR) technology and maintains a comprehensive policy governing use. The chief said LPRs have been in use in some form since 2013 and credited the technology with helping to track and safely apprehend an assailant who fled more than 100 miles following a homicide. "They helped us solve crime and certainly more expeditiously solve crime," the chief said, while acknowledging the technology has drawbacks and that legislative decisions on deployment rest with the board. Officials said data are stored for extended periods so investigations initiated months later can access historical records; staff offered to provide additional policy details on request.