BUTTE - Butte-Silver Bow’s county attorney says there are legitimate concerns about potential legal issues with automated license plate readers that are scattered throughout Uptown Butte.
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“It’s definitely worrying privacy-wise and with AI kind of being a big thing,” Opal Phillips said about the SafetySticks.
Butte Commissioner Russ O’Leary also shared those concerns and requested the county attorney examine whether the SafetyStick devices that were installed at some Butte intersections in 2024 violate Montana laws concerning privacy and if that information from these devices could be shared with third-party systems like Flock Safety.
The devices are designed to record license plates of vehicles parked in restricted areas, such as a yellow zone or in front of a fire hydrant.
County Attorney Matt Enrooth recently listed six recommendations Butte-Silver Bow should consider regarding its contract with Municipal Parking Services that operate the SafetySticks, including:
- Limiting data to parking enforcement only.
- Prohibiting sharing license plate information with Flock Safety or other third parties.
- Requiring human review of any AI-generated data from the devices.
Municipal Parking Services told MTN News it does not use Flock cameras in its SafetySticks, which are only used for parking enforcement.
“We do not share information with third parties without the written consent from Butte-Silver Bow or a court order and that language is written in our contract,” Municipal Parking Services Vice President of Sales Robert Matthews said.
Opal Phillips was visiting Butte from Canada recently and said she didn’t trust these devices.
“I don’t think I want my data shared with all the different... wherever ... I don’t even know where it’s going is another thing. We don’t really get told where any of it is going,” Phillips said.
The council of commissioners is expected to review the county attorney’s recommendations at its Aug. 26 meeting at 7:30 p.m. on the third floor of the courthouse.
