New Jersey voters are divided over whether police should use automated license plate readers in their communities, but overwhelmingly support tighter restrictions on the surveillance technology, according to a Rutgers-Eagleton Poll released Wednesday.
The poll found that 50% oppose the cameras, including 30% who strongly oppose them, while 44% support their use.
The cameras, sometimes known Flock cameras, often mounted on utility poles, photograph passing vehicles and record their locations, creating searchable databases for law enforcement.
Republicans are considerably more supportive of the technology than Democrats, with 67% of GOP respondents favoring its use, compared with 36% of Democrats and 40% of independents.
But broad bipartisan agreement exists on imposing safeguards.
Seventy-eight percent support requiring police departments to audit license plate searches monthly rather than annually, while 69% favor requiring warrants before searching the databases.
Another 66% support deleting collected data after six months, rather than the three years currently permitted.
“New Jerseyans don’t agree on whether they want these cameras in their communities, but they largely agree on how they should be governed if they are there,” said Ashley Koning, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling.
The sharpest disagreement involves sharing information with law enforcement agencies in other states. Forty-eight percent support prohibiting such exchanges, while 42% oppose restrictions.
Republicans oppose an interstate sharing ban by a 62%-33% margin, while 52% of Democrats and independents support it.
Age also plays a significant role. Just 28% of residents aged 18 to 34 support license plate readers, compared with 55% of those 65 and older.
Black residents are particularly skeptical, with only 25% supporting the cameras, compared with 49% of white residents and 45% of Hispanic residents.
The Rutgers-Eagleton Poll surveyed 1,004 New Jersey adults from September 24-27 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1%.