California cities review police license plate reader programs

Local governments in California are reviewing the use and expansion of automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology.

In Redwood City, the City Council will discuss findings from a San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury report regarding the city’s ALPR program. The report characterized the city’s policy as “outdated” and noted that the Redwood City Police Department shared information with private university security entities without confirming they qualified as public agencies under state law. The city plans to hold community forums in October to gather public input ahead of a potential new contract. Seven vendors, including Flock Safety and Axon, have submitted proposals.

In Los Angeles, the City Council is considering a motion to assert jurisdiction over a recent decision by the Board of Police Commissioners to approve a 10-year, $235 million contract with Axon Enterprise. The contract would provide over 1,600 patrol-car cameras, replacement body-worn cameras, Tasers, and AI-assisted report-writing features. Additionally, a pilot program involving surveillance cameras mounted on streetlights, utilizing technology from Ubicquia Inc., was approved by commissioners to collect further license plate data.