Amanda Marko
Role at the time: Republican candidate for Roanoke City Council
Statement summary
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.”
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)Why we used 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.