Background

San Francisco’s ALPR Policy

The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) states that they use ALPRs to support enforcement of stolen vehicles, amber alerts, unregistered vehicles, parking violations, and wanted criminals. Its use is limited to locating vehicles, apprehending individuals with arrest warrants, identifying missing persons, and crime investigations. Police officers must verify the plate and check law enforcement databases before initiating a stop on the vehicle.

Policy Stated by SFPD

Data is encrypted and stored by Flock Safety following Criminal Justice Information System security protocols
Police can’t stop someone just because of an ALPR alert; they must first confirm that the vehicle is actually wanted or stolen.
Officers are only allowed to use ALPR data for approved law enforcement purposes.
ALPR cameras are only used to scan vehicles that are visible in public places.
ALPR data can only be used if it shows the license plate, vehicle info, location, and time; nothing else can be used as a reason for police action.

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If you see a violation of these privacies, you have the right to report.

“Members of the public can register complaints with the Department of Police Accountability (DPA). DPA, by Charter authority, receives and manages all citizen complaints relating to SFPD. DPA manages, acknowledges and responds to complaints from members of the public.”

Source: SFPD ALPR Policy

Statistics

ALPR Cameras

Manufacturer: Flock Safety
Budget: Funded by a $17.3 million grant from the State’s Organized Retail Theft Grant Program
Number of Cameras: ~400
Authorized Start: March 2024
ALPR Data Retention Policy: Data captured is maintained for 12 months unless connected to a criminal investigation, for which it may be retained for 5 years
ALPR Data Sharing Policy:

Shared among local law enforcement partners

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(Toggle) Data sharing agreements

Extra Sources

San Francisco Begins Installing Automated License Plate Readers to Disrupt Organized Theft and other Criminal Activity - In March 2024, Mayor London Breed announced SF’s plan to install 400 ALPRs at ~100 intersections across the city as part of a $17.3 million grant from Californias Organized Retail Theft Grant Program.