NORTH PROVIDENCE – The town of North Attleborough has paused the use of its automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras, effective immediately, following a unanimous request from the Town Council.
Town Manager Michael Borg said he took the Town Council’s unanimous vote to request that he pause the cameras seriously, and as town manager, he had acted on it.
“I have directed the Police Department to pause the cameras, effective immediately, including all data collection and reciprocal sharing with other agencies, while the town takes a second look at how this technology should be governed locally,” he said.
The council also referred the matter to the Bylaw Subcommittee to consider local guardrails for ALPR use in North Attleborough, he added.
“That referral is the right next step. The pause is not the end of this conversation. It is the beginning,” he stated.
He recognized the residents who took part in the testimony process.
“This was an issue with strongly held views on both sides, and it could easily have become a shouting match,” he said. “It did not. Residents asked hard, fair questions about privacy, data access and information sharing. Our Police Department provided important context about the technology’s role in keeping this community safe. People disagreed, and they did it with respect. That is civil discourse at its best, and it is a credit to this community.”
He also thanked councilors for listening to every perspective, holding a public hearing, engaging in a thoughtful and respectful discussion, and identifying a clear path forward through the bylaw process.
“That is how the partnership between the council and the town manager’s office is supposed to work, and I value it,” Borg said. “I have full confidence in our Police Department and in the officers who serve this community every day. I do not take lightly the challenges they face, and this pause is not a judgment on their work.”
Public safety and privacy are not competing priorities, said Borg.
“Through the Bylaw Subcommittee, we will examine data retention, access, sharing, oversight and accountability, and we will develop clear standards that reflect what this community needs and expects,” he stated. “My office will support that work fully, with the Police Department, town attorney, and an independent auditor.”
He said they intend to do more than solve this for themselves.
“Questions about public safety, privacy and emerging technology will not end with license plate readers. Every community in the Commonwealth is facing them,” he said. “When our framework is complete, we will make it available to other municipalities. We will also work with our legislative delegation to push for clear statewide standards. Local action matters, but it cannot substitute for guidance from Beacon Hill.”
He thanked everyone who participated.
“We will keep the community informed at each step as this work moves forward,” he said.
