Casino fund spent on license plate reader cameras instead of addiction

Nine municipalities in Massachusetts spent about $500,000 from a fund set aside to offset the impact of casinos on license plate reading cameras. The fund is the Massachusetts Gaming Commission's Community Mitigation Fund. Financed by casino tax revenue, the resource is used for projects addressing problems such as traffic congestion, public safety and gambling addiction.

According to WBUR's investigation, over the last three fiscal years municipalities used part of their funds to buy automated license plate readers. Most of the devices were made by Flock Safety. Agawam, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Ludlow, Wilbraham, Plainville, North Attleborough, Wrentham and Chelsea were among the municipalities that made this purchase. Police departments argued that the cameras would monitor traffic heading to the casinos, and some devices were installed on those roads.

However, the technology records not only casino visitors but every vehicle that passes in front of the camera. The collected data is stored in databases, and law enforcement agencies in other communities, and sometimes in other states, can access this data without obtaining permission.

Agawam City Council member Christine Rickmon said residents were surprised to learn that the cameras had been installed without any broad public debate. Rickmon also questioned the town's justification. Among the justifications was a claim that parents drop their children off at Six Flags New England and then go to the nearby MGM Springfield casino.

The Massachusetts chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is concerned that police departments are adopting surveillance technology without adequate public consultation. Several municipalities have suspended or canceled these contracts.