loading . . . Port Angeles turns off its license plate-reading cameras PORT ANGELES — The automated license plate reader cameras in Port Angeles have been turned off and uninstalled following public concerns.
The Port Angeles City Council had planned to have a work session regarding automated license plate readers (ALPRs) during its meeting Tuesday, but that discussion has been postponed, according to a city news release.
“The city of Port Angeles has received an outpouring of questions and concerns regarding License Plate Reader (LPR) cameras,” the release stated. “We hear your concerns and appreciate the feedback provided. Out of an abundance of caution, the three LPR cameras in Port Angeles were turned off and uninstalled on Friday, Feb. 6.”
Another reason the discussion was postponed is that the state Legislature is currently working on the issue.
On Feb. 4, the state Senate passed Senate Bill 6002 on a bipartisan 40-9 vote. The bill, which is now awaiting House action, would require data to be deleted within 21 days unless it’s needed for police evidence, according to the Washington State Standard. The bill also would prohibit police from sharing the information in most cases except for court proceedings and limit where the ALPRs could be installed, keeping them away from schools, churches, courts or food banks.
“The legislation says police can only use the cameras to compare the data to watch lists for stolen vehicles, missing or endangered persons, vehicles registered to people with felony warrants and investigations related to vehicles involved in a felony,” the Washington State Standard reported.
Before the city’s decision to turn off the ALPRs, community members had been reaching out to city council members with their concerns.
Council member Drew Schwab addressed the issue on his substack, substack.com/@drewschwab, on Feb. 4.
“ALPRs are cameras that capture images of license plates along with the time and location where the image was taken,” Schwab wrote. “In Port Angeles, these cameras are used by the Port Angeles Police Department. Much of the technical information I have received so far comes from Chief (Brian) Smith of the Port Angeles Police Department.”
The ALPR system used in the city collects license plate numbers, dates, times and locations, Schwab wrote. The system does not include names or registration information.
“Chief Smith has explained that the value of ALPRs comes from the ability to cross reference a plate with other law enforcement databases when there is a lawful reason to do so,” Schwab wrote. “That distinction matters. It’s also why oversight and limits on access are so important.”
Many cities use ALPRs from a company called Flock, which has known security vulnerabilities and records are available through public records requests, Schwab wrote. He added that Smith said PAPD uses a different system, called Leonardo, which he said is more secure and isn’t accessible through public records requests in the same way as Flock.
In addition to the written concerns sent to city staff and council members, two people spoke against ALPRs during the council’s Feb. 3 meeting.
In independent research of ALPRs, no correlation was found between the presence of the readers and actual crime clearance rates, Port Angeles resident Bradley Callaway said.
“The research is generally showing these things are not actually doing anything to help with crime in the areas that they’re in,” he said. “We had a few research studies out of California with the early adopters in 2023, 2024 where they had literally next-door neighbor cities where one had ALPRs and the other one didn’t, and there was just no difference between those cities and what happened with their crime and what happened with their clearance.”
Callaway also expressed concerns about surveillance limiting social interactions, which create community bonds.
The use of ALPRs is blurring the line between security and authoritarianism, Port Angeles resident Morgan Barrett said.
“While these are in the public space, they’re creeping into a gray area of warrantless search without probable cause and clear violation of our fourth amendment,” Barrett said. “I’ve seen some arguments that we are surrounded by surveillance, like at the toll booths and international spaces of businesses, but in these cases, we opt into these by choosing to shop at these businesses or use the convenience of a non-stop toll collection system.”
People do not have the ability to opt out of their vehicles being recorded by ALPRs, he said.
Smith was set to present information on ALPRs to the city council during the Tuesday meeting, but that presentation has been postponed until the council takes up the issue once the state House has acted on the legislation.
“Here in Port Angeles, the cameras will remain uninstalled until after the House has reviewed the bill and after city council has had an opportunity to learn more and provide direction on the future of the LPRs in our community,” the city’s news release stated.
________
Reporter Emily Hanson can be reached at [email protected]. https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/port-angeles-turns-off-its-license-plate-reading-cameras/
