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Council presses police on who can access license-plate data and how long footage is kept
Summary
Council members asked whether officers must enter a case number to query ALPR data, how long unaccessed footage is retained, and what procedures exist for complaints and audits; the chief said access is restricted, audits occur quarterly and unaccessed footage is retained for 30 days.
Council member Luis Cabrera pressed the chief on public-record access, retention and misuse controls for ALPR data.
"So, basically, only if it's related to a crime?" Cabrera asked after the presentation. Chief Nikhil Reynoso replied that authorized searches require a legitimate law-enforcement purpose and that "Yes, officer are required to enter a case number and reason associated with investigation."
Cabrera also asked whether retrieved footage becomes subject to public-record rules after an investigation is closed; the chief answered that material retrieved for a report is subject to records-retention statutes, while footage not accessed in a case is generally only available for 30 days unless there is a justified retrieval request.
On accountability, Reynoso said improper use may result in disciplinary action up to termination and revocation of Arizona POST certification and described internal-investigation steps handled by the department. He added the department conducts quarterly audits of queries, hits and access to detect possible misuse.
