San Antonio – North Star Mall has been using license‑plate readers at its main entrances and exits for the past two years, according to a mall spokesperson. The technology captures the license‑plate numbers of every vehicle that enters or leaves the property, storing the information in a secure database that only mall security management and the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) can access.
How the system works
The readers automatically record each plate, retain the data for 30 days, and then delete it. Mall officials say the system is intended to “help identify non‑customers and their vehicles, detect repeated violations of the employee parking program, flag vehicles associated with persons banned from the property, and assist in investigations of recent crimes or suspicious activity.”
Industry backing
Garrett Langley, CEO of Flock Safety, the company that supplies the readers, noted that the technology is used by nearly 7,000 police departments as well as businesses and neighborhoods across the United States. “At the end of the day, we have to find a society where safety and privacy can coexist,” Langley said.
Community response
While some shoppers appreciate the added security, others feel uneasy about being monitored. San Antonio resident Aria Friederich told reporters, “It almost makes me not want to go to the mall.” Another shopper, who asked to remain anonymous, questioned whether a private business should be collecting such data, saying, “That seems like a violation of a right for them to be able to do that. They’re not police.”
Social‑media respondents raised concerns about privacy and the Fourth Amendment, with a majority opposing the readers or saying they did not feel safer because of them. A smaller group argued that law‑abiding citizens should not be worried about the technology.
Local law‑enforcement use
North Star Mall is not the only entity in the area using Flock Safety cameras. The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety also operate the technology. Although Guadalupe and Kendall counties recently voted to end their contracts with Flock Safety, the cameras remain in use throughout Bexar County.
Balancing safety and liberty
The debate reflects a broader conversation about how private enterprises can employ surveillance tools while respecting constitutional freedoms. Mall officials maintain that the data is strictly limited to security purposes and is deleted after a month, but privacy advocates continue to monitor the practice closely.
As the discussion unfolds, shoppers, law‑enforcement officials and the mall’s management will need to find common ground that protects both safety and the constitutional rights of San Antonio’s families.
Original reporting: San Antonio, TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
