Alamogordo NM
Opinion
Wednesday July 1 2026 1:30pm

License Plate Reader Tech is a Force Multiplier for Law Enforcement

This post expresses the views and opinions of the author(s) and not necessarily that of 2nd Life Media Alamogordo Town News management or staff.

Note: The following commentary is contributed by the City of Alamogordo Police Chief David Kunihiro.

Police Chief Kunihiro discusses the real-world benefits of license plate reader (LPR) technology in helping law enforcement keep our communities safe and prevent crime. LPRs have become an important tool across New Mexico in solving crimes, recovering stolen vehicles, and assisting in urgent cases like missing persons and attempted abductions. These systems are extremely valuable in delivering timely, actionable information that can make a critical difference in protecting victims and preventing crime according to proponents. 

”As Chief of Police for the Alamogordo Police Department, I’ve had the privilege of serving this community for more than twenty years. I’ve seen firsthand how policing has evolved and how departments like ours must adapt to meet increasing public safety demands with limited personnel and resources.

For the past fifteen years, our department has operated understaffed, making it critical that we utilize technology that helps our officers work smarter and more efficiently.

One of the most valuable tools we have implemented is license plate reader (LPR) technology.

LPR technology has become a force multiplier for our agency. By providing real-time information on vehicles connected to criminal investigations, missing persons cases, and wanted suspects, the system allows our officers and investigators to act quickly and effectively.

What once required hours of manual investigative work can now be accomplished in minutes.This technology has already demonstrated significant value in protecting our community.

In one major investigation involving an individual wanted for a child sexual crime, LPR data assisted investigators in tracking vehicle activity associated with the suspect. With this information, investigators learned that the suspect, who had previously fled the country to avoid prosecution, returned to the Alamogordo area. By leveraging LPR technology, investigators quickly identified the suspect’s presence within the local community and arrested him.

In another case, officers were investigating what was initially believed to be a stolen vehicle. Using LPR technology and investigative follow-up, officers quickly learned the vehicle had been legally repossessed. This prevented an unnecessary stolen vehicle report from being entered and saved valuable investigative time and resources.

Technology will never replace good police work, but it can greatly enhance it. For a rural department like ours, LPR technology helps us police with more precision while continuing our commitment to keeping the Alamogordo community safe.”
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7-01-2026 4:26pm

Recently, in the news it was reported that LPRs were being utilized in a city back East to track vehicles in an unauthorized fashion. Are there safeguards in place to prevent that from happening here?

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7-07-2026 12:42pm

In response to Police Chief Kunihiro’s enthusiastic opinion of the “license plate reader technology”, more commonly known as Flock Cameras, I would ask if he has ever bothered to read the U.S. constitution especially the 4th Amendment. These cameras are much more than just license plate readers. The amount of data that they gather and store is simply an invasion of any citizen’s right to privacy.

There are currently 42 of these invasive data gathering cameras in the Alamogordo area and 2 in Tularosa according to FlockHopper, website that tracks these devices. In my research, I have found that the cost of these devices is somewhere between $2.500 $3,000 per unit, per year. Take that times 42 in the Alamogordo and……well taxpayer, do the math.

https://dontgetflocked.com/maps

https://www.aclu.org/campaigns-initiatives/get-the-flock-out

Here are some questions to keep in mind:

  • What specific problem does your community want to address? Does mass surveillance actually fix the issue, or are we just throwing new technology at a problem that it cannot solve?
  • Does your city have an ALPR contract? If so, can you get a copy? When does the contract end?
  • How many ALPR cameras are in use in your city?
  • Where are they located?
  • Are they in areas that seem to target particular groups of people? (Low-income neighborhoods, immigrants, people of color, etc.)
  • How much is your city paying for ALPRs?
  • Did the city council approve the use of ALPRs?
  • How long does your city retain its ALPR data and does it share it with others?
  • What restrictions are there on police searching the ALPR database to track people's historical movements? Is a warrant required?
  • Did your city council vote on the ALPR contract? Was it part of their consent agenda? Was there public education about it? Local agencies should not acquire or deploy new surveillance systems, or expand their surveillance programs, without public discussion and debate.
  • Has the city or the police department publicly reported on how ALPRs have been used in your city?
  • The real question here is; do the citizens of Alamogordo and Otero County want government data gathering devices monitoring our every trip to the grocery store, the doctor, to church? I say absolutely not and urge citizens to present these questions to their elected and appointed government figures and demand answers. If answers are not forthcoming then perhaps a change to more willingly transparent public officials is in order.
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7-09-2026 7:01am

I apologize to the sensitive minded individuals who were offended by my statement. I will not remove it, however I will also say gosh golly jeepers mister. Those sure are the bees knees the cats meow. 

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