Council authorizes Byrne JAG application to expand license‑plate readers after policy briefing
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Summary
Following a public town‑hall and staff briefing on safeguards, the council authorized an application for FY2025 Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant funds to add fixed license‑plate‑reader cameras, expanding the city's pilot from two to up to six devices; staff emphasized statutory guardrails and CJIS protections with 60‑day retention.
The Rochester City Council on April 6 authorized staff to apply for and, if awarded, accept a FY2025 Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant to expand automatic license plate reader (ALPR) capacity in the city.
Police Chief Franklin presented the request and described the department’s measured approach: the current pilot uses two Axon outpost ALPR cameras (recently deployed on 41st Street), and the grant would fund roughly four additional fixed cameras. Chief Franklin said the program targets auto‑theft prevention and recovery and provides investigative alerts for stolen vehicles, wanted persons and Amber Alerts.
Chief Franklin outlined legal and procedural safeguards: the ALPR data is CJIS‑protected, retained for 60 days under Minnesota statute, audited, and accessible only for legitimate law‑enforcement purposes. “We retain the vehicle and plate information for 60 days per state statute,” Franklin said, adding that the city owns the data and would not share it with third parties except under judicial process.
Council members pressed staff on operational details and costs: Council member Miller and others asked whether the program requires additional staffing, whether parking‑ramp readers integrate with the Axon system, and how lookbacks for investigations work. Franklin said real‑time alerts are provided to logged‑in officers via the department’s FUSIS dashboard, and that historical searches within the 60‑day retention window are available when needed for investigations.
Funding and partnership: the grant amount discussed was roughly $28,000 and Chief Franklin said the department has historically shared a portion with Olmsted County as a partner; the plan is to stretch purchases across several years to evaluate return on investment and align with a forthcoming Axon contract renewal.
After discussion, Council member Palmer moved, and Council member Fredericks seconded, a motion to authorize application for the FY2025 Byrne JAG and to accept funds if awarded for fixed ALPR technology; the motion passed on voice vote.
Context and next steps: staff will apply for the grant and, if awarded, deploy additional cameras as described, continue public transparency via the department’s posted policy and prior town hall engagement, and report back on metrics such as auto‑theft reductions and recoveries.
