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Public Safety Committee approves consent items; members split on LPR donation and inmate phone services
Summary
The committee approved several consent items and voted to accept a donation of license‑plate reader equipment and approve inmate telephone services; Council member Sotto Martinez voted no on the latter two after raising data‑sharing concerns about the LPR donation.
The Public Safety Committee approved a package of consent items and separately voted on two items that drew questions about data sharing and privacy.
The committee approved items 3–7, 9 and 11–13 on consent with the committee adopting the City Administrative Officer recommendations or the motions as noted. The clerk called the roll; Council member Lee, Council member McOsker, Council member Sotto Martinez and Council member Park voted yes and the items were approved (4 ayes, Price absent).
Items 8 and 10 were called separately after Council member Sotto Martinez requested questions. Item 8 concerns acceptance of donated license‑plate reader equipment (donor identified in the agenda materials as Flock Technology in related reporting). Council member Sotto Martinez cited recent media reports alleging that some law enforcement agencies have shared license‑plate data with federal immigration authorities and asked whether the department’s agreement with the vendor allows data sharing with federal agencies.
Commander Randy Goddard, Information Technology Bureau, Los Angeles Police Department, told the committee that license‑plate reader data collected by cameras is the property of the Los Angeles Police Department. He said “it is private” and that the LAPD requires a memorandum of understanding signed by the chief of police before sharing data with any other agency. Goddard said the department currently has five such memoranda in place, none with federal immigration agencies, and that “by no means would we ever be able to share any data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.” He said the MOU with the vendor specifies that the vendor cannot share data without express permission.
Council member Sotto Martinez asked for a copy of the MOU and said he would not support the item at the committee level; he left open the possibility of reviewing the MOU before the full council vote. After the roll call on items 8 and 10, Council member Lee, Council member McOsker and Council member Park voted yes; Council member Sotto Martinez voted no. The two items were approved (3 ayes, 1 no).
Votes at a glance
- Items 3–7, 9, 11–13: Approved on consent; roll call: Lee — yes; Price — absent; McOsker — yes; Sotto Martinez — yes; Park — yes. Outcome: approved. - Item 8 (license‑plate reader equipment donation): Approved. Roll call: Lee — yes; Price — absent; McOsker — yes; Sotto Martinez — no; Park — yes. Outcome: approved. - Item 10 (inmate telephone services): Approved. Roll call: Lee — yes; Price — absent; McOsker — yes; Sotto Martinez — no; Park — yes. Outcome: approved.
Committee members and LAPD staff said they will provide a copy of the vendor MOU to Council member Sotto Martinez’s office for further review before the full council consideration.
