AUSTIN, Texas — Austin transportation officials are weighing license plate-reading cameras as a way to respond to thousands of parking-related complaints each month, but a key city commission is holding off on a recommendation to City Council for related technology as it awaits more information about police technology and compliance with the city’s surveillance rules.
Austin Transportation & Public Works says the proposed system would use cameras that take still photos, not video, and that each photo would be reviewed by an employee for verification before any citation moves forward.
“Our parking enforcement team gets about 5,000 customer service requests each month,” Joseph Al-Hajeri with the city’s Transportation and Public Works Department said. “I can’t have an officer at every single corner watching when a violation occurs.”…