OC cities review license plate reader contracts

Officials in Santa Ana, Brea and Fullerton are expected to review automated license plate reader programs as privacy concerns grow over Flock cameras, data access and possible sharing with federal agencies.

The reviews could determine whether local police agencies keep using a surveillance tool that has expanded across Orange County cities while drawing questions from residents and council members.

Voice of OC reported that Santa Ana council members are expected to discuss whether to direct the city manager to return within a month with an overdue update on the city’s automated license plate reader contracts, options to end contracts with Flock and Motorola and a report on outside agency access to the system.

Santa Ana approved spending more than $700,000 combined on two license plate reader contracts in May 2025, while directing police officials to provide a public update a year later, according to Voice of OC. Councilman David Penaloza said the cameras were installed at the end of September 2025, not immediately after the contracts were approved.

Councilwoman Jessie Lopez cited a report by the Inadvertent that a Northern California fusion center accessed Santa Ana’s system on behalf of federal agencies. Councilman Johnathan Hernandez said he supports ending the contracts and raised concerns about mass surveillance, while Councilman Ben Vazquez said the readers can be abused.

According to Flock’s transparency page, Santa Ana recorded nearly 1.3 million unique vehicles in the past month. The OC Register reported that Santa Ana police used license plate readers to identify and arrest a woman who ran over her puppy with her minivan.

Voice of OC reported that Brea officials are expected to receive an update on their integrated crime center and a presentation on the license plate reader program at their Tuesday 7 p.m. council meeting. Fullerton officials are slated to discuss license plate readers at their Tuesday 5:30 p.m. meeting, including whether to continue using the technology.

Fullerton has 19 Flock cameras that have cost the city nearly a quarter of a million dollars since 2021, according to Voice of OC. The city’s policy bars sharing ALPR data with out-of-state or federal agencies and requires training and quarterly audits, while Flock’s transparency webpage shows Fullerton cameras detected over a million unique vehicles and nearly 6,000 flagged vehicles in the past month.

Costa Mesa officials decided this summer to keep their Flock contract but asked staff to renegotiate terms on data access and collection after a police officer used the devices to stalk women, Voice of OC reported.