Sheriff's commander defends Flock ALPR program, cites cases and audits

Commander Eric Tennyson of the Ventura County Sheriff's Office told the Camarillo City Council on Aug. 26 that automated license-plate readers (ALPRs) leased through vendor Flock are a legal and effective investigative tool. "We use ALPRs because they help us find stolen vehicles," he said, and he cited recent cases his office views as supportive of warrantless ALPR use and data searches.

Tennyson described how the cameras capture a plate image, convert it to a read with date/time/location, and compare reads to "hot lists" for stolen vehicles or subjects tied to crimes. He said images are encrypted, stored in the cloud for one year and then hard-deleted unless tagged as evidence. The commander also emphasized policy safeguards: "Every search requires the user enter an offense type, case number, and the reason for the search," and supervisors and the crime analysis unit run audits; weekly audits were instituted after an access issue in early 2025.

He provided local results to illustrate the program's impact, including stolen-vehicle recoveries (38 in 2024, 46 in 2025, and 30 year-to-date in 2026) and several investigations where ALPR alerts led to arrests. He defended camera placement strategy as data-driven, focused on ingress/egress points and a "theft corridor" by major retail outlets rather than broad neighborhood coverage.

On accuracy and misuse concerns, Tennyson acknowledged national reports of misreads but said agency policy requires visual verification and dispatch confirmation before enforcement. "Trust isn't something we ask for. It's something we earn, and we intend to keep earning it," he said. The presentation prompted detailed council questions about retention, grant funding for additional cameras, alternative vendors, contract terms and indemnification.