Appleton has removed its automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) while the city works to establish stronger privacy safeguards before bringing the technology back.The Safety and Licensing Committee is considering four pages of a mendments proposed by Alderperson Vered Meltzer that would add stricter rules on how surveillance data can be used, stored and shared.Watch the full broadcast story here: Appleton pauses license plate reader program while city works on privacy rulesMeltzer said her proposed changes draw heavily from a citizen-authored ordinance drafted by Fox Valley residents outlining the specific protections they want to see implemented.The core protections in that ordinance include limiting data access to the city alone, requiring a warrant for data older than 24 hours, sensitive use restrictions, prohibiting data sharing with federal agencies without a warrant, and establishing independent oversight.Meltzer said independent oversight is essential to the program's integrity."You have a body that's doing something, they should not be the ones providing the oversight of themselves, right?" Meltzer said.Residents who helped draft the citizen ordinance also spoke in favor of the proposed protections."I understand it could be a powerful tool and help many people, luckily I do believe we can thread the needle of having this useful tool with minimal ability to do harm," one resident said.Another resident urged the committee to move forward with the amendments."These are not controversial, these are not unreasonable, these are common sense," a resident said.The committee will formally take up the issue again on September 9. In the meantime, the city is not pursuing ALPR technology.Ahead of Wednesday's meeting, Mayor Jake Woodford and Police Chief Polly Olson released a joint memo encouraging committee members to take their time reviewing the issue.The memo states the city has already ended its use of Flock products and confirmed cameras under city jurisdiction have either been removed or covered. ...read more read less