"Public records show that hundreds of law enforcement agencies from around the U.S. searched data from Palo Alto's automatic license plate reader cameras over a period of about a year."
"The nationwide lookup search feature allowed law enforcement to search Flock's entire network of 6,000 cameras, including those in Palo Alto, beginning in late 2023."
"Police Chief James Reifschneider stated that the police department was not aware of the nationwide search feature until December 2025."
"Sharing ALPR data with out-of-state and federal agencies is prohibited under state law that became effective in 2016, with Palo Alto's rules being even stricter."
Public records indicate that numerous law enforcement agencies accessed data from Palo Alto's automatic license plate reader (ALPR) cameras over a year. The cameras, managed by Flock Safety, were available to federal and out-of-state agencies through a nationwide lookup feature initiated in late 2023. Despite local officials' assertions, audits revealed extensive searches. Police Chief James Reifschneider stated the department was unaware of this feature until December 2025, and it was disabled for Palo Alto in October 2024, with statewide deactivation in March 2025.
Read at San Jose Spotlight
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]