By admin 
As Roseville city officials defend the Police Department’s use of automated license plate readers, a local advocacy group is organizing a public forum to give residents a chance to ask questions and voice concerns about the technology. The city has declined to hold a separate town hall on the program, saying City Council meetings already provide opportunities for public comment. But DeFlock Roseville, a group seeking greater scrutiny of the cameras, said residents deserve more information about how the system works, how effective it is and how the department ensures it is used appropriately. The disagreement comes as other California communities reconsider their use of automated license plate readers, commonly known as ALPRs, amid questions about surveillance, data sharing and oversight.
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DeFlock Roseville plans to host a public forum from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Maidu Center, 1550 Maidu Drive.
William Forseth, a spokesman for DeFlock Roseville, said the event is intended to gather residents’ concerns and give them a voice because the Roseville City Council has not held a town hall on the issue.
“The goal isn’t to tell people what to think, but to understand their concerns so that we may voice those concerns to council in lieu of a council-led town hall,” Forseth said.
City says council meetings provide public forum
Roseville officials said an additional town hall is neither necessary nor appropriate for discussing what the city described as a complex issue.
In a statement, the city said residents can share their views at City Council meetings.
“City Council meetings provide a public forum for residents to express their views, and we do not believe an additional meeting is necessary at this time, nor do we believe a town hall is an appropriate venue for this complex issue,” officials said in the statement.
Erin Dunlay, a city spokesperson, said residents can submit questions to the Police Department by emailing [email protected].
The city said it receives feedback about ALPR technology through in-person conversations, meetings, phone calls, emails and social media. “We have not tracked individual responses by number, but can state that the majority of comments from Roseville residents on this issue have been in support,” Dunlay said.
Organizers said Friday’s event will offer residents another opportunity to discuss the technology.
According to the event agenda, organizers set aside 40 minutes for public comment, with each speaker allotted two to three minutes. The group also planned to livestream the event on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.
Forseth said the group invited City Council members and the Police Department to participate.
“We have heard back that some members of council will be unable to attend, and we have not heard back about police attendance at this time,” he said.
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Group seeks records on effectiveness, oversight
Forseth said DeFlock Roseville has submitted public records requests seeking information about crimes solved with the help of ALPRs, potential misuse, department audits and data-sharing practices.
Roseville has used the technology since 2018. The cameras photograph passing vehicles and record license plate information that law enforcement can use in investigations.
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The city said the system has helped police investigate and solve hundreds of crimes.
Officials said the department has reported no instances of misuse under its current auditing practices, although 71% of camera alerts involved misread license plates.
However, the city did not provide a numerical breakdown of the crimes attributed to the technology or supporting data for its claim that the cameras have helped solve hundreds of cases.
Dunlay said the department is gathering audit results for publication on the city’s website. The department’s Professional Standards Unit, commonly known as Internal Affairs, conducts audits every 60 days to assess compliance with state law and department policies, she said.
The department is also finalizing figures on arrests resulting directly from ALPR alerts, Dunlay said.
“These will not account for the various instances where the tool has been used to assist in an investigation because we do not track data in this way,” she said.
City outlines restrictions on camera use
In its statement, the city said officers must enter an offense type and associated case number when conducting historical ALPR searches as part of investigations.
Officers also must verify license plate information and confirm that an alert is accurate and relevant to an active investigation before taking enforcement action. An ALPR alert alone does not justify a traffic stop, detention or arrest, officials said.
Department policy limits data retention to 60 days, prohibits the sale of ALPR data to third parties and restricts data sharing. The policy also prohibits sharing ALPR data with federal agencies for immigration enforcement, according to the city.
In addition to audits conducted every 60 days, the department’s ALPR Administrative Team performs quarterly reviews, officials said.
Other California cities reconsider use of cameras
Roseville’s debate over public input and oversight comes as other communities reassess their use of the technology.
The Auburn City Council voted 5-0 earlier this month to delay a decision on whether to continue using the city’s 12 Flock Safety cameras while officials gather more information and survey residents. The decision followed a Sept. 21 town hall at which many residents opposed continued use of the cameras.
In Folsom, city officials are also reassessing the use of Flock cameras after the League of Women Voters hosted a public forum.
In Grass Valley, the Police Department indefinitely suspended its use of the cameras in August following complaints from residents.
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