License Plate Reader Leads To Immediate Campus Arrest

Source: Tyler Morning Telegraph

An alert from a campus license plate reader leads to a quick arrest for trespassing at UT-Tyler. 

According to police reports, UT-Tyler Police arrested non-student Glenn Smith, 20, of Longview on Oct. 20 for trespassing on university property after he already received a trespass warning earlier that day. A license plate reader then tipped off police that evening that Smith returned to campus. License plate readers are relatively new technology at UT-Tyler and are posted at every campus entrance.

According to police reports, two public safety officers (PSOs) say they discovered Smith while he was trying to hide from during their walk through of Room 106 in the fine arts complex around 8:16 p.m. on Oct. 20. A responding UT-Tyler Police officer subsequently issued Smith a trespass warning, barring his return to campus property

Then at 10:07 p.m., reports say UTTPD received an alert from its FLOCK license plate reader that Smith’s vehicle entered the south gate entrance at The University Pines Apartments. Officers then located Smith in an apartment and arrested him without incident. Authorities booked Smith into Smith County Jail on charges of Criminal Trespass (PC 30.05). He received a $500 Surety Bond and the Jail released him the following day. 

My Commentary

The police’s quick response happened because of the department’s license plate readers. There is one at every campus entrance.

Over the summer, UT-Tyler Police told me in a statement that “The license plate reader technology info is included with all measures UTTPD takes to keep this campus safe and secure, and the feedback from parents has been positive.” 

Clearly, license plate (LP) readers expand UT-Tyler Police’s scope of awareness throughout its jurisdiction, and with this, its ability to confront threats to campus safety. 

Yet, for me, I am uncomfortable with this amount of surveillance. No doubt there are benefits, but what I dislike is the the asymmetrical power dynamic that I perceive now exists between police and the individual. I like that police have a competitive advantage over possible criminals and I think the LP readers are a good deterrent. 

However, the university could have total security if it turned campus into a prison. Surely, most people would not tolerate this. 

So, I think that interests in security and privacy must check and balance one other.  

I would like UTTPD to maintain its security advantage but see student government or a student government committee oversee its use. UTTPD has so much of an advantage over individual students with its technology that many students have little defense by comparison. 

UT-Tyler’s student body must have a student oversight committee to ensure UTTPD’s powerful technology finds responsible use among the campus community. While it is good to trust the police (and I do support a civil police force), it is also important to “trust, but verify,” as Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan said.

Right now, with the addition of UT-Tyler Police’s license plate reader technology, it appears the balance of power between interests in public security and individual privacy tips in the favor of public security thanks to evolving technology. Community oversight is necessary to balance the power dynamic. In this case, the community is the student body. 

Technological advances are important, but so are their responsible use. When there is oversight of how the police department uses this and other revealing technology for campus surveillance, then I think I will feel much better about its use. 

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