Some Maine privacy advocates are criticizing a new surveillance system used by South Portland police that automatically reads license plates.

The Portland Press Herald says South Portland is apparently Maine’s first community to use automated license plate recognition to target traffic scofflaws, people wanted on warrants and other offenders.

Cameras on a cruiser takes pictures of license plans and runs the numbers through the database of the National Crime Information Center.

South Portland police Lt. Frank Clark says the technology can be used to detect stolen vehicles and help find missing people.

Shenna Bellows of the Maine Civil Liberties Union says the surveillance system undermines the fundamental right to be left alone.