Do you guys have these in your town?

Three provinces over. Seems pretty Orwellian to me. 

Yep, except they're running plates to look for repos. 

Nope, but that appears to be a private vehicle and anything in public view is more or less legal to film.

Thats certainly something.  Almost looks like a troll or hiding in plain sight.  

I'm fairly certain the regular police cruisers around here all run at least one, if not multiple, license plate cameras during normal patrols.

Not advocating any sort of disobedience here, but those cables are just out in plain sight and it would be a real shame if they got unplugged every time that thing stopped moving.

Not here that I’ve ever seen

We have had them over 10 years 

recent audit has interesting results: 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/losangeles.cbslocal.com/2020/02/14/lapds-license-plate-reader-system-failing-to-protect-driver-privacy-audit-finds/amp/

Never seen them for By Law enforcement, regular cop cars have 'em all the time.

Lots of them here.  Excellent revenue generator.

We have them here. Don't work if ya don't have tags 

I have not seen them while driving around So Cal .......But they probably have smaller ones on the light bars.....

And I never have seen a Private Company scanner car.....

But I have seen 4-5 of the Google , Microsoft and another mapping car with cameras on the roof.....

Repo companies send them out but usually not quite that obvious.

californiamilleghia said:

I have not seen them while driving around So Cal .......But they probably have smaller ones on the light bars.....

And I never have seen a Private Company scanner car.....

But I have seen 4-5 of the Google , Microsoft and another mapping car with cameras on the roof.....

The have them on a LOT of freeway on ramps and freeways.  Not talked about a lot, but they even mentioned them in a news item a year or so ago (some idiot lighting things on fire).  I don't know if they use them to enforce tags or repros, but they definitely know when and where people are going.

Here is an article on wanting to install them in NorCal:

https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/12/11/regional-freeway-license-plate-reader-network-coming-to-highways-4-and-80/

We don't have anything hideous like that, but police cars and especially tow trucks run them.

City of North Vancouver uses that technology with fewer cameras. City of Vancouver relies on a large crew on foot, bicycle, scooter and car.

Assuming Canadian law enforcement has specific license plates like they do in the US, that would appear to be a civilian car?

In reply to stuart in mn :

That is a municipal employee.

aircooled said:

californiamilleghia said:

I have not seen them while driving around So Cal .......But they probably have smaller ones on the light bars.....

And I never have seen a Private Company scanner car.....

But I have seen 4-5 of the Google , Microsoft and another mapping car with cameras on the roof.....

The have them on a LOT of freeway on ramps and freeways.  Not talked about a lot, but they even mentioned them in a news item a year or so ago (some idiot lighting things on fire).  I don't know if they use them to enforce tags or repros, but they definitely know when and where people are going.

Here is an article on wanting to install them in NorCal:

https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/12/11/regional-freeway-license-plate-reader-network-coming-to-highways-4-and-80/

many of the ones at freeway on ramps are smog sniffers.....

I've not seen a car like that. A number of the Columbia city cops have them and they have lots of them at fixed locations (light, signal, & power poles) around the more heavily traveled intersections in the city. 

bearmtnmartin said:

In reply to stuart in mn :

That is a municipal employee.

A glorified hall monitor.

Funny how every time the city / province / country goes looking for money, the only answer is to pick on the taxpayer some more. The solution is never to trim the fat or stop waste.

A taxpayer is like a cow. If you milk the cow too often, you might get kicked.

In reply to Professor_Brap (Forum Supporter) :

or if you're still running John Welsh's tag on the Q45

We have them here for scofflaw towing. Once you owe the city a certain amount of parking fines a private company can boot or impound your car, the plate readers troll for hits, boot the car and call for a tow. 

Hell no, I've never seen one

I think the "Stay back 5 meters" notice is just a suggestion that would invite frequent tailgating.