NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville does not have license plate readers, or LPRs, on a permanent basis. Many Nashville leaders cite privacy concerns, especially following the recent ICE activity in the Nashville area.
But that's as other cities like Mt. Juliet point to their own LPRs as a tool that's helped them cut down on crime. That police department recently put out statistics saying crime is down from the same time last year and that License Plate Readers have played a role in "reducing criminal activity."
According to Mt. Juliet's crime insights, the city reported a 56% drop in burglary from this time last year. Auto theft dropped 27% in Mt. Juliet during the same period.
IN CONTEXT: Metro Nashville's crime statistics show Nashville's burglary numbers also dropped, but only by 15%. Auto theft dropped in Nashville, too, but only by about 10%.
Nashville's previous experience with LPRs
Nashville does have recent experience with license plate readers. Metro experimented with a six-month pilot program in 2023.
Metro Police said that the program ended with 112 arrests and 130 total felony charges issued.
However, the city's Community Oversight board criticized the program, saying it unfairly targeted low-income and non-white areas.
While Nashville's Metro Council voted to approve LPRs in Nashville going forward, there's been no LPR contract put in front of councilmembers for them to approve.
YOUR VOICE: NewsChannel 5 asked viewers on social media what questions they wanted Metro leaders to answer about License Plate Readers.
YOU ASKED: Among the questions we got, Dave asked: "There's only one question. Why have they not been integrated?"
We took that question to Jordan Huffman, the head of Metro Council's Public Health and Safety Committee.
HUFFMAN ANSWERED: "There are some members of the community that are concerned that license plate readers are going to infringe on the rights of certain protected groups," Huffman said. "I hear those sensitivities, but I don't necessarily think LPRs are as intrusive as other methods we are seeing take place all across the country."
With the division among this Metro Council, which was newly elected since the previous council approved the idea of LPRs in Nashville, Huffman says he wants the new group of lawmakers to have an up or down vote on LPRs in Nashville going forward.
Your Voice matters in this debate: What questions do you have about License Plate Readers in Nashville? Jason has been covering this issue for years and wants to get your specific concerns answered by Metro leaders. Watch the full story above, then send your LPR questions directly to jason.lamb@NewsChannel5.com – he'll take them straight to the decision-makers and report back with answers that matter to our community.
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Jason Lamb. When using this tool, both Jason and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into stories that matter to you.
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