Article
and Video Courtesy of Spectrum News
By Tim Spears
Published January 7, 2020
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VIDEO
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Nearly one third of Americans have had packages
stolen from their door, according to Xfinity Home Security.
Now, communities across the country are adding
neighborhood-wide surveillance systems.
Front door cameras like Ring Doorbells are already popular for
individual homes to catch thieves who walk up to a home to steal
something. The Wellington Woods neighborhood in Matthews has installed a
license plate-reading camera to catch thieves who drive through.
“It’s a great system because it records every single solitary tag going
in and out of the neighborhood day or night,” Wellington Woods HOA
President Charlie Clayton said. |
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The Flock Safety automated license plate reader uses artificial
intelligence to sort cars by license plate, vehicle type, and vehicle
color, which residents can look up at home.
The ACLU has asked for restrictions on license plate readers, with
concerns about privacy and abuse. The ACLU is actively advocating for
plate readers to be used only by law enforcement and to require anyone
using readers to report annually on how it's used.
Some of the privacy issues are whether neighbors could be tracking each
other, or family members.
As for the need for a crime-fighting tool, Xfinity Home Security also
reports more than half of Americans know someone who’s had a package
stolen from their doors.
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