Jonathan Hofer

Jonathan Hofer, is a Research Associate at the Independent Institute. He is author of the new report, The Pitfalls of Law Enforcement License Plate Readers in California and Safeguards to Protect the Public. Jonathan and his brother (his brother is an attorney) were pulled over by the CA Highway Patrol and held at gunpoint on the ground because the car they were driving in was misidentified as stolen.

Law Enforcement Agencies Using License Plate Readers Earn California Golden Fleece® Award for Inadequate Safeguards

Oakland, CA—Law enforcement agencies are essentially testing surveillance systems on Californians with their use of automated license plate readers (ALPRs). ALPRs are high-speed cameras capturing images of passing cars, enabling the collection of information from vehicles’ license plates. The costly technology has troubling error rates resulting in frequent baseless vehicle stops.