By David Chanen

Brooklyn Center will become the latest law enforcement agency to install squad cameras that read license plates, another tool in its effort to reduce auto thefts.

The data from the two cameras will be used by officers in real time to identify a stolen vehicle or a driver who is wanted for current criminal activity, said Police Chief Kevin Benner. After the alert, the data won't be stored because it doesn't serve any law enforcement purpose, he said. A camera can read hundreds of plates an hour.

Benner cited a recent Star Tribune article about the cameras' use in Minneapolis and a call from privacy advocates for standards to govern how police classify and retain plate-reader data. Without a state law, police departments are free to set their own policies on how long they keep the information. Anybody can make a request for the data.

The State Patrol deletes location data after 48 hours, St. Paul police erase it in 14 days and Minneapolis retains it for a year. If the state Legislature creates statutory language about the length of time a department can retain the data or if any of it would be classified as private and not available to the public, Benner said they would revisit the issue.

Agencies using them in the metro area include Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington, Maplewood, Washington County and the State Patrol. In March, the state Department of Commerce issued grants for even more departments to purchase readers, including four for the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office. Brooklyn Park said it will take a "wait and see" approach before considering the cameras.

The Brooklyn Center City Council approved a $48,000 grant Aug. 27 for two cameras, which will be available for use in about a month, said Benner. His department already receives grant money for an officer assigned only to auto thefts and stolen auto part cases, such as "chop shops."

"This is a valuable tool for our toolbox," he said. "This allows us to apprehend criminals as quick as possible."

Brooklyn Center had a record low number of auto thefts last year, but has had 76 this year. The idea to apply for the grant for the cameras came from the officer dedicated to auto theft cases. The cameras will benefits all metro law enforcement agencies because they will be informed about vehicles stolen from their jurisdictions, said Benner.