Montreal police are quietly growing their network of AI-powered tools to track vehicles and people across the city, raising questions about public transparency and privacy rights.

A high-powered camera able to scan and identify vehicles was spotted earlier this week by a Radio-Canada reporter, on a lamp post along Henri-Bourassa Boulevard in Montreal’s Rivière-des-Prairies neighbourhood.

It was quickly taken down on Wednesday, after Radio-Canada published an article about the camera.

The device used was a Cloudrunner CR-H2, manufactured by Montreal-based company Genetec, the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) later confirmed.

Similar to the controversial Flock Safety cameras widely used in the United States, the system does more than scan licence plates.

It also captures and stores specific vehicle characteristics, including colour, make and model, according to the company’s website.