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Oakdale accepts $12,195 auto-theft grant to add license-plate readers; chief details retention and use
Summary
The council accepted a $12,195 state grant to purchase two stationary license-plate readers to assist auto-theft investigations; Police Chief Newton described substantial plate-scan volumes, enforcement outcomes and the department's 30-day retention policy.
The Oakdale City Council voted Oct. 28 to accept a $12,195 auto-theft grant from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety to add two stationary license-plate readers to locations near 34th Street in Marketplace. The grant was accepted via Resolution 2025-98 and the council also authorized the city administrator to execute the necessary documents.
Police Chief Newton told the council the department has deployed stationary readers since early 2024; in that period the readers have "scanned nearly 8,000,000 license plates resulting in 58 actionable items for law enforcement, including several arrests and recovery of 8 stolen vehicles." Newton said matches alert officers to stolen vehicles, missing persons, amber alerts and other items on a state-managed "hot list." He emphasized the system performs alphanumeric comparisons and does not itself disclose personal information.
On privacy and data-management, Chief Newton said state law permits agencies to retain license-plate reader data for up to 60 days, but Oakdale’s policy currently purges data after 30 days and restricts access to authorized police personnel for criminal investigations. Newton added that the data are not shared with outside agencies for noncriminal purposes.
Council approved the grant and the authorization to execute documents by voice vote. The police department said deployment of the additional readers will focus on areas with higher auto-theft activity and will be accompanied by enforcement and investigative follow-up.
