Committee questions private patrols and ALPR use, calls for more transparency

Los Altos Hills committee members raised concerns about oversight and transparency for private patrols and the use of automated license-plate readers (ALPRs), saying the town should clarify what records are available to the public.

A council member said evidence for ALPR effectiveness was "thin" but also acknowledged private patrols had produced useful observations. "Maybe that's the word you used on the ALPRs...but I do believe that the private patrols have done stuff for us," the council member said. Other members urged steps to make patrol activity discoverable through public-records requests.

The chair, identified in the transcript as George Lee, said private patrols are "law enforcement light" without the full set of accountability features typical of police, and that the council should make patrol activities more transparent and subject to records requests.

Members discussed practical examples: a resident reported private patrols noting unusual vehicles and leaving without filing formal reports; another member recounted a private-patrol interaction on a street-maintenance call. Committee members suggested clarifying whether records of private patrol activity are requestable public records and whether the town's contract terms should require additional reporting.

Why it matters: Private patrols operate at the edge of public safety policy, raising questions about who may collect and retain surveillance data and how that information is governed. Committee members urged staff to examine contract terms and public-records options so residents can better understand patrol activity and any ALPR use.

No formal policy or contract amendment was adopted at the meeting; members asked staff to return with options for increasing transparency.