Tilden Township police are investigating the weekend theft of three Flock automatic license plate readers from the Lowe’s parking lot.
The cameras, which are mounted on poles and automatically record license plate information, were stolen between Friday night and Saturday morning, according to police.
Although the theft occurred on Halloween weekend, Police Chief William J. McEllroy said the timing appears to be purely coincidental.
McEllroy said the culprit was almost certainly someone opposed to license plate recognition technology, also known as automatic license plate readers.
The cameras are owned by Lowe’s and are used in shoplifting investigations. While some Flock camera systems are designed to help law enforcement track individuals and vehicles, the cameras stolen were used solely for license plate recognition, McEllroy said.
The township operates its own license plate readers in the area that are not manufactured by Flock, he added.
License plate readers have been used by law enforcement agencies for more than a decade. However, their growing presence in communities across the country has raised concerns among privacy advocates, who argue that interconnected camera networks can function as large-scale surveillance systems.
The same night the theft occurred in Tilden Township, Hazleton police in Luzerne County reported that several Flock cameras had been vandalized. Police there were also attempting to identify those responsible.
Tilden police requested assistance from the Berks County District Attorney’s Forensic Services Unit in the investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Tilden police at 610-562-9001 or crimetips@tildentownship.com. Anonymous tips may also be submitted through Crime Alert Berks County at 877-373-9913 or by texting the keyword “alert berks” to 847411. Crime Alert Berks County is offering a cash reward for information leading to an arrest.