State Auditor finds privacy issues with license plate readers

A report from the State Auditor has found privacy issues with law enforcement agencies' use of automated license plate readers.

State Auditor Elaine Howle announced the findings on Thursday. Her office reviewed practices at four agencies: the Fresno Police Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Marin County sheriff's office, and the Sacramento County sheriff's office.

The report raised concerns these departments were gathering too much information, keeping it for a long period and sharing it widely. These are significant concerns, Howle wrote in a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders, especially because, she said, 70% of law enforcement agencies in the state either have these systems or plan to buy them."

"Three of the four agencies have shared their ... images widely, without considering whether the entities receiving them have a right to and need for the images," she wrote.

The report found two of the agencies were linking their data with information, such as names and addresses. Los Angeles in particular was gathering a huge amount of data, 99.9% of it on cars not considered "vehicles of interest" to law enforcement, Howle wrote.

"We recommend that the Legislature direct the California Department of Justice to develop a policy template that local law enforcement agencies can use as a model" for their license plate reading policies, Howle added near the end of the letter.

The lawmaker who requested the report last June, state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, quickly tweeted out, "I'm drafting a law to end this abuse."

"The audit findings are deeply disturbing and confirm our worst fears about the misuse of this data," Wiener said in a press release Thursday.

Police department officials in Fresno, Los Angeles and Sacramento did not respond to calls and emails seeking comment. However, all four agencies filed letters in response that were included in the auditor's report.

Los Angeles Chief of Police Michel R. Moore wrote that his department "has the utmost respect for individuals' privacy" and is currently working on its own audit of its license plate reader policies.

"Per the recommendations listed in your audit draft report, the department will have a plan that describes the periodic audits by February 2021 and will complete the first audit by June 2021," Moore wrote.

-- Malcolm Maclachlan