Connecticut ALPR installation pause request and POST guidance (2026)

State of Connecticut — Governor's announcement and letter of August 7, 2026 calling for review of safety camera and ALPR technology. TWO COMPONENTS: (1) a request that ALL CONNECTICUT MUNICIPALITIES immediately PAUSE the installation of any new cameras and ALPRs pending finalisation of guidance; (2) a directive to the Connecticut POLICE OFFICER STANDARDS AND TRAINING (POST) COUNCIL to develop, within 30 days (approximately September 6, 2026), guidance for state and local police departments that outlines the privacy provisions in existing Connecticut statutes and recommends specific policies departments should adopt before implementing the technology. LEGAL FORCE — WHY strength IS `limited`: the municipal pause is a REQUEST, not an order; Connecticut municipal police departments are not bound by it. The POST Council's output is GUIDANCE, not a regulation. Neither component creates an enforceable restriction. PRACTICAL WEIGHT NONETHELESS: the POST Council sets training and certification standards for Connecticut law enforcement, so its guidance functions as the de facto compliance baseline for departments seeking to avoid accreditation and liability exposure. STATUTORY BACKDROP: Gov. Lamont signed PUBLIC ACT 26-14 in May 2026, which includes provisions intended to clarify privacy concerns in state statutes; the Governor's own position is that more is required. STATED RATIONALE: residents are 'justifiably concerned' about privacy issues arising from this public safety technology. RELATED CONNECTICUT DEVELOPMENT: Connecticut Public reported on 2026-09-08 that CT towns were installing license-plate-reading cameras on SCHOOL BUSES — a deployment channel the pause request does not obviously address. EARLIEST of the four August 2026 state ALPR actions (Connecticut 08-07, Rhode Island 08-18, Texas 08-26, Florida 08-31).