Before an officer can access the LPR database to browse LPR detections, the inquiring officer must document a reason for the inquiry within the system. In accordance with the department’s policy on license plate readers, audits of the LPR detection browsing inquiries are completed at least once each quarter.
LPR audits can be found below.
2022 Audits
2023 Audits
Note about redactions
Incident numbers and descriptions given have been redacted from spreadsheets to protect the privacy of individuals and the integrity of open investigations/court matters. These redactions are made pursuant to KRS 61.878(1)(a) and (h) which exempts:
(a) Public records containing information of a personal nature where the public disclosure thereof would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy…
(h) Records of law enforcement agencies or agencies involved in administrative adjudication that were compiled in the process of detecting and investigating statutory or regulatory violations if the disclosure of the information would harm the agency by…premature release of information to be used in a prospective law enforcement action or administrative adjudication. Unless exempted by other provisions of KRS 61.870 to 61.884, public records exempted under this provision shall be open after enforcement action is completed or a decision is made to take no action…”
Investigations currently being conducted by our agency are preliminary and ongoing. Prematurely releasing documentation prior to the closure of an investigation may lead to sensitive and/or intimate details becoming public. This could cause potential hazards, including but not being limited to: tainting witness testimony, difficulties in locating cooperating witnesses for fear of retaliation, privacy concerns of the cooperating parties and assessing the validity of new information. In addition, releasing information too early could cause a disadvantage for law enforcement personnel by alerting potential suspect(s) of their involvement. Not only would the release of information on an individual that has not been charged criminally be a violation of their personal privacy, it could potentially lead to the tampering, altering or destroying of evidence.
Our agency also must consider the adjudication process, as premature release of information may make prosecution more difficult by tainting jury pools with preliminary information. A court matter is considered closed by our agency either when prosecution is declined, the Final Order is submitted to the court clerk and entered into the record, the opportunity to appeal has expired, and/or when open appeals are decided.