Elk Grove council hears police ALPR report as residents demand independent audit of vendor

Elk Grove officials on Wednesday received a detailed briefing on the Police Department’s automated license‑plate reader (ALPR) program and the department’s 2025 annual report, while multiple residents called for an independent audit of the city’s ALPR vendor, Flock Safety.

Real Time Information Center manager Andrea Cortez told the City Council that ALPR cameras capture license plates at fixed locations or on vehicles and match them against state databases to generate alerts for stolen vehicles or other law‑enforcement hits. Cortez said the system provides investigative leads—when and where plates were observed—but “it does not identify drivers or occupants” and “there is no persistent tracking” in the department’s workflow. She said the city retains ALPR data for 30 days and requires a reason code and a case number for any inquiry.

Chief Bobby Davis described how the technology has supported investigations and public‑safety operations, citing examples including locating a kidnapped 10‑year‑old and assisting with hit‑and‑run and burglary investigations. Davis also summarized 2025 department statistics, including a roughly $79.3 million overall police budget (with about $69 million from Measure E), 2,376 arrests, 9,308 traffic citations and 10 traffic fatalities in 2025. He said the department filled most vacancies and expanded its crisis‑intervention capacity.

Several residents used the public‑comment period to press the council for additional transparency and for independent verification of the city’s Flock Safety contract. “Flock Safety systems have violated these laws in multiple California cities,” said Ellen, a District 1 resident, citing audits in other jurisdictions and urging the council to “release Elk Grove Flock ALPR audit logs publicly and commission an independent audit” to verify that no federal agency had gained access to city data.

Another commenter, Jennifer T., told the council she was “deeply concerned about the use of the Flock safety cameras,” and urged staff to research alternative ALPR vendors that demonstrate local control and compliance with California law.

Cortez and Chief Davis acknowledged the concerns and described internal safeguards. Cortez said the city adopted multi‑factor authentication for vendor accounts and that the department conducts internal audits; she recommended leaning on the California Department of Justice for an external audit to resolve questions about unauthorized access in other jurisdictions. Chief Davis reiterated that Elk Grove PD has not shared data with federal immigration authorities and stressed the public‑safety results the department attributes to the technology.

Council members thanked staff for the presentation and supported pursuing clarification from the California DOJ. Several members praised the department’s community‑facing programs and low use‑of‑force rate while acknowledging the need for continued oversight of surveillance technology.

Next steps: Council members said they will request further clarification from the California Department of Justice and continue public discussion; no policy change or suspension of the Flock Safety contract was adopted at the meeting.