The Science and Technology Committee held an extended discussion on automated license‑plate readers (LPR) after presentations from Flock Safety, the Las Cruces Police Department and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office.
Trevor Chandler, director of public affairs for vendor Flock Safety, told the committee the company’s system is in use by 37 agencies in New Mexico and said LPRs are used to solve crimes including vehicle theft, violent crime and missing‑person cases. Chandler said many customers select a 30‑day default data retention period ‘‘because 30 days provides enough functionality’’ for investigations while limiting long‑term storage.
Law enforcement examples and data: Las Cruces Police Chief Jeremy Story said the department launched LPR work in 2021 and ran 23 fixed cameras in a 77‑square‑mile city; the department requires an incident number for any historical search and sets retention at 30 days. Chief Story gave 2024 figures: 749 stolen‑vehicle hits, 720 stolen‑plate hits, 187 registered‑sex‑offender hits, 86 missing‑person hits and other alerts.
Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen described a system of fixed and mobile cameras and said his office runs audits and limits access. He said his office caught an off‑duty deputy misusing access and removed that user. Allen said LPR alerts led deputies to a vehicle linked to an out‑of‑state homicide at a Rio Bravo Walmart; deputies established a perimeter before making an enforcement approach. Allen also gave agency totals of hot‑list alerts, stolen plates and other metrics.
Privacy, oversight and interagency sharing: committee members pressed on who owns data and whether law enforcement can share or sell it. Chandler said Flock stores data but the law enforcement agency owns it and the company’s contracts prohibit Flock from selling agency data; private retail customers can host cameras but must sign agreements and never receive law‑enforcement data. Law enforcement leaders described internal controls—SOPs, audits, case‑number requirement, and limited access—and said they support transparency portals and auditing.
Retention and guardrails: the committee focused on retention periods; Flock recommended 30 days as a best practice but acknowledged agencies can set longer retention (some use 90 or 180 days). Several members, including senators who have drafted legislation, urged the committee to consider statutory guardrails for retention, data sharing, auditing and permitted uses to ensure consistent practices across jurisdictions.
Other practical issues: police and sheriffs described permitting delays from the New Mexico Department of Transportation when placing fixed cameras along state rights of way, saying permitting held some projects up for up to a year; committee members signaled interest in resolving the permitting process.
Next steps: law enforcement said they are willing to work with the legislature on carefully designed guardrails that preserve investigatory value while protecting civil liberties. No bills were adopted during the hearing; committee members signaled intent to pursue follow‑up work.