Automatic license plate readers, or ALPRs, are cameras that scan plate numbers and can create records of where vehicles were seen. A recent bipartisan federal amendment proposal would restrict cities and states from using ALPRs except for tolling if they receive certain federal highway funds. Civil-liberties groups have urged support for restrictions, while police and some local officials argue that ALPRs help solve serious crimes. The policy question is whether ALPRs should be banned, limited to serious crimes with oversight, governed locally, or treated as a normal public-safety tool. A camera that tracks where cars go is not just a traffic tool. If police use it, the rules should be public, narrow, and enforceable.