Marko says Roanoke should not build license-plate reader surveillance
Amanda MarkoRepublican candidate for Roanoke City Council
Marko said license-plate reader systems capture data on people who have done nothing wrong, that the opportunity for abuse outweighs the benefit, and that Roanoke can stay safe without that surveillance infrastructure.
“I looked into license plate reader technology when crime hit my own neighborhood and was deeply concerned about the always-on nature of systems that capture data on people who have done nothing wrong. With no warrant required and no clear limits on who can access that data, the opportunity for abuse outweighs the benefit. We can keep Roanoke safe without building costly surveillance infrastructure that we may come to regret.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Should Flock-style license-plate surveillance networks exist?
Networked automated license-plate readers record passing vehicles and let agencies search or share travel records across locations. Candidates and officials disagree over whether to prohibit these networks, keep them with legal limits, or defend their use for investigations. This tracker records attributable positions on that choice, including proposals that would affect only public funding or data access.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
WDBJ7 report on where Roanoke City Council candidates stood on the city's Flock license-plate cameras and gunshot detectors, with the candidates' full written statements.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
WDBJ7 asked Roanoke City Council candidates where they stood on the city's use of Flock license-plate cameras and gunshot detectors after the city said 30 gunshot sensors had been installed at the wrong locations.
After the quotation
WDBJ7 reported that of the eight candidates who responded, only incumbent Vivian Sanchez-Jones and former mayor David Bowers explicitly supported using Flock technology.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is whether networked license-plate reader systems should exist and be used. Marko says the potential for abuse of always-on plate-reader systems outweighs their benefit and that Roanoke can stay safe without building that surveillance infrastructure. That rejects the systems themselves, so Condemned fits.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Flock Safety
More from this case
Read the full caseJacob Burnett says Flock-style cameras should be done away with, with warrants required if they stay
“The systems themselves can be modified to prevent nearly all abuse and be made more secure by requiring warrants for access or follow through on any data the systems collect and have all data stored on the hardware itself preventing viewing from remote locations, requiring strict login credentials and a connecting warrant number to access. These are common sense changes that if the systems are to be used I feel could correct a lot of abuse or privacy concerns but I also feel the systems should be done away with overall, especially in the realm of predictive crime analytics.”Read statement
Dean Brewer, an independent candidate for Tennessee governor, says Flock cameras should be banned
“I believe flock cameras should be banned.”Read statement
Buddy Carter says license plate cameras help investigators but need privacy safeguards
“Technologies like license plate recognition cameras can provide valuable investigative tools, but they have also raised important questions about privacy and government oversight. As these systems become more common, it is important to balance public safety with appropriate safeguards that protect individual privacy.”Read statement
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- Marko says Roanoke should not build license-plate reader surveillance
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- https://disputeindex.com/events/3107-marko-said-license-plate-reader-systems-capture-data
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The Dispute Index. "Marko says Roanoke should not build license-plate reader surveillance". First published: 2026-09-29. Last updated: 2026-09-29. https://disputeindex.com/events/3107-marko-said-license-plate-reader-systems-capture-data