ALPRs, like Flock, are everywhere in the Sacramento region. What do they track?

Automated license plate readers manufactured by Flock Safety and other companies have quietly become part of everyday policing across the Sacramento region. Their rapid spread has sparked scrutiny over accuracy, data sharing and privacy as a new state bill aims to set limits.

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Here are key takeaways:

• Widespread deployment: Police departments and sheriff’s offices in Sacramento, Elk Grove, Folsom, Galt, Yolo County, Placer County and beyond use ALPRs, creating a surveillance network that covers roughly 2.2 million people in Sacramento County and its cities alone.
• Elk Grove audit: Advocacy group DeFlock Elk Grove found that more than 3,600 organizations made over 8.3 million searches of residents’ license plate data between 2021 and March 2026, with 97% of the searches conducted by outside agencies.
• Roseville accuracy issues: Flock cameras generated 1,427 alerts for stolen or felony-linked vehicles between 2023 and 2024, and 1,011 of them — or 71% — involved license plate misreads, though the department said none resulted in wrongful traffic stops or arrests.
• One noteworthy distinction: Flock cameras are not deployed in the city of Sacramento. The Sacramento Police Department uses a different ALPR system developed by Motorola Solutions.
• Galt kidnapping arrest: Officers used Flock cameras to locate a suspect’s vehicle within five minutes of being contacted about a possible kidnapping, and the victim was found nearby.
• SB 1013: State Sen. Sabrina Cervantes, D-Riverside, introduced legislation that would require law enforcement to delete ALPR data after 30 days unless the plate is on an authorized hot list or in an active investigation evidence file.
• Immigration limits: SB 1013 would also prohibit the sharing of license plate data for immigration enforcement, arrests or deportation purposes.
• El Cerrito rollback: The Contra Costa County city’s council ended its contract with Flock following public outcry, and police are taking down cameras over the coming weeks.
• Contract costs: The Elk Grove City Council approved an amended agreement with Flock Safety that extends through 2028 at a total cost exceeding $1.6 million.