Current Minister of the Interior Igor Taro (Eesti 200) suspended the police's right to use the nationwide automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) camera network, citing legal ambiguity.

Lauri Läänemets, chair of the Social Democratic Party (SDE) and former interior minister, said on ERR's webcast "Otse uudistemajast" that while there is no law currently regulating the use of ANPR cameras, ensuring public safety justifies their use. He added that he would not have suspended the use of the cameras if he were still minister.

"It's clear that if something needs to be regulated by law, then it should be. There has been enough debate about this topic, but in my opinion, what's missing is the focus on people's safety," Läänemets said in response to the current minister's decision to halt the use of the cameras.

Läänemets stressed that the camera system was created to help solve serious crimes.

"One police leader gave the example that officers, who now cannot use the cameras due to this decision, are effectively in a situation where serious medical conditions are being treated with a plantain leaf. In the same way, a modern tool has been taken away from the police," Läänemets said. He added that the police have already faced situations where they were unable to respond in time to drug- or violence-related crimes.

According to Läänemets, public safety is also being undermined by the decision not to use the cameras. "Estonians have lost a piece of their sense of security, and that's significant, because safety is something that unites all ethnic groups in Estonia, no matter the region — it's one of the most highly valued aspects of life here," he said.

"I don't understand why this isn't being discussed," Läänemets added. "In reality, if something needs to be changed, then it should be done urgently. As minister of the interior, I would have kept this tool in the hands of the police, because both the minister and the government are also responsible for upholding the constitutional value of protecting people's lives and ensuring a sense of security in the country."

When asked whether Minister Taro made the wrong decision in halting the use of the cameras, Läänemets replied, "I would have acted much faster."

He acknowledged that legal clarity is important, but said public safety must come first.

"The number one issue here is that if someone is raped, murdered, kidnapped — or take the most recent case, where a person with known suicidal tendencies went missing — how are we supposed to find them if all these systems have been shut down? Those whose child, spouse or parents are in danger want, first and foremost, for their loved one to be saved. Second, they want their privacy respected. Both are important values; neither is more important than the other. But I'll say this: we must not turn off public safety or the sense of security," Läänemets said.

He also noted that the necessary legislative amendments could be passed by the Riigikogu this summer. "If there's political will, this could be formalized before Midsummer, or whenever necessary. In my view, this is such an important issue that there's no question about it. The Riigikogu could reconvene on July 1 or July 5 and pass the law in a third reading," he said. "I can help push these proposals forward, but a lot depends on the coalition itself."

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