Elected officials in at least three Orange County cities are scheduled to review their use of automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology this week, in response to growing privacy concerns from residents. Police officials maintain these systems assist in crime prevention efforts, yet questions persist regarding data use, potential misuse, and sharing with federal agencies.
In Santa Ana, City Council members are expected to discuss on Tuesday directing the city manager to produce an overdue one-year update on the city’s ALPRs. This discussion, requested by Councilwoman Jessie Lopez, also seeks reports on options to terminate contracts with Flock and Motorola for the readers, as well as a report detailing which outside agencies are accessing Santa Ana’s ALPR system.
The city’s original approval in May 2025 committed over $700,000 to the two ALPR contracts, with a directive for a public update a year later. Councilwoman Lopez noted the delay in this update and cited a recent report that a Northern California fusion center accessed the city’s system on behalf of federal agencies. She stated, "This council promised our community an audit after one year. Instead, we’ve gotten silenced."
Councilman David Penaloza countered that the cameras were not installed until late September 2025, suggesting the one-year mark was recent. While acknowledging the validity of discussing contract termination and security breaches, Penaloza expressed concern about groups whose core mission is to "dismantle any type of public safety tool." He added that sharing data with federal agencies would be a concern, as it was not what officials "believed and hoped would not happen."
Other Santa Ana council members voiced strong opposition. Councilman Johnathan Hernandez supported ending the contracts, calling the fusion center’s data sharing a violation of state law and raising concerns about "mass surveillance." He further stated, "Flock does not make it any safer for us." Councilman Ben Vazquez described the system as inherently "fascist" for spying on residents and expressed satisfaction that "other cities are saying no more" to weaken the network.
Meanwhile, officials in Fullerton are also slated to discuss automated license plate readers during their 5:30 p.m. city council meeting on Tuesday. This discussion, requested by Councilman Ahmad Zahra, will include whether the city should continue its contract with Flock cameras and review its ALPR policy. Fullerton operates 19 Flock cameras, which have cost the city nearly a quarter of a million dollars since 2021. The city’s policy prohibits sharing data with out-of-state or federal agencies, restricts camera use to criminal investigations or routine patrol, requires training for authorized users, and mandates quarterly audits of usage. Flock’s transparency webpage indicates Fullerton’s cameras detected over a million unique vehicles in the past month and nearly 6,000 flagged vehicles.
In Brea, officials are expected to receive an update on their integrated crime center and a presentation on their automated license plate reader program at their 7 p.m. city council meeting on Tuesday.
This summer, Costa Mesa officials decided to retain their Flock contract but instructed staff to renegotiate terms regarding data accessibility and collection. This action followed a documented instance where a Costa Mesa police officer allegedly used the devices to stalk individuals, including his wife, an ex-girlfriend, and romantic rivals.
Across the region, the proliferation of ALPR cameras has raised concerns among residents about tracking innocent individuals and potential misuse by law enforcement. Santa Ana's Flock transparency page indicates nearly 1.3 million unique vehicles were detected in the city last month. The Santa Ana Police Department recently used its ALPRs to identify and arrest a woman in connection with an incident involving her puppy. Official responses from Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua, Councilmembers Phil Bacerra, and Thai Viet Phan, as well as Police Chief Robert Rodriguez, City Manager Alvaro Nuñez, and City Spokesman Paul Eakins, were not provided to inquiries on the matter, with a department spokeswoman pointing to the police department’s social media page.
