SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane County Sheriff’s Office credits its network of more than 70 Flock cameras with helping dramatically reducing vehicle theft, but state lawmakers are pushing for stricter privacy regulations that would limit how long surveillance data can be stored.
SCSO reports vehicle theft reports have dropped 54% since the automated license plate readers were installed in 2022. The technology allows constant monitoring of license plates, effectively doing the work of more than 70 deputies.
“Our vehicle theft rates in Spokane County have actually dropped, more than the state average has over the last couple of years,” said Sheriff John Nowels.
Senate Bill 6002 would require law enforcement agencies to delete data within 72 hours. Currently, Spokane County deletes data after 30 days.
“ALPRs collect sensitive data at massive scale about ordinary people who are not suspected of any wrongdoing,” said Tee Sannon with the American Civil Liberties Union, who testified in support of the legislation. “ALPR should be retained for the shortest period of time possible. 72-hour limit is a start.”
However, Sheriff Nowels argues the proposed limit would hamper investigations.
“From the time a crime occurs in Spokane County to the time it actually gets assigned for investigation is well outside of that 72 hours,” Nowels said.
The ACLU’s concerns stem partly from instances where similar data was previously accessible to federal immigration agents in other jurisdictions.
Both sides agree that the data should not be accessible to the public through records requests.
The Senate Law and Justice Committee is scheduled to discuss the bill on Thursday, which would establish statewide regulations for automated license plate reader systems across Washington state.
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