To the Editor:
As a senior, former member of Elders in Action, and longtime advocate for older Oregonians, I appreciate the Oregon Legislature for passing Senate Bill 1516 this session.
The bill established important safeguards around the use of license plate reader (LPR) technology by prohibiting its use for immigration enforcement, limiting it to specific public safety purposes such as locating suspects or missing persons and banning its use for traffic ticketing or the general surveillance of law-abiding residents.
Importantly, SB 1516 still allows LPR technology use to enhance public safety and serve vulnerable communities, including seniors.
For older adults living with Alzheimer’s disease or other cognitive challenges, wandering is a serious and often life-threatening issue. Today, that challenge increasingly involves seniors who go missing while driving. In a matter of minutes, someone can cross county lines or reach a major highway, turning a local search into a regional one.
Unfortunately, I have personal experience with this. I knew Ralph Brown, a fellow educator and former mayor of Cornelius, who went missing in 2021 while living with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. He left home in his car and never returned. His vehicle and remains were discovered a year later. Silver Alerts were created for situations like this.
Silver Alerts function much like Amber Alerts for seniors. In these cases, quickly locating a vehicle can make all the difference. License plate readers help law enforcement identify vehicles associated with missing persons and narrow search areas when every minute counts.
When Oregon passed its Silver Alert law in 2014, senior advocates supported it because they knew it would save lives. Silver Alerts become even more effective when paired with responsibly regulated LPR technology.
I am grateful that the Legislature established those regulations while preserving a valuable tool for finding missing seniors and other vulnerable individuals.
Ray Johnson
Editor’s note: Letters to the Editor are to be less than 300 words. The Southeast Examiner reserves the right to edit for length or content.