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Although currently paused, our Police Department has the ability to use ALPR (Automated License Plate Readers) technology to capture objective evidence without compromising on individual privacy. Retroactive searches allow officers to solve crimes after they've occurred; additionally, real time alerting of "hotlist" vehicles allow officers to capture wanted criminals.
In Renton, Flock cameras are only allowed on state highways, and data from the system can only be accessed for serious crimes such as violent crimes, felonies, or gross misdemeanors.
What Flock ALPR Technology Does
Flock ALPR cameras are a public safety tool that has shown to be anContinue reading
Although currently paused, our Police Department has the ability to use ALPR (Automated License Plate Readers) technology to capture objective evidence without compromising on individual privacy. Retroactive searches allow officers to solve crimes after they've occurred; additionally, real time alerting of "hotlist" vehicles allow officers to capture wanted criminals.
In Renton, Flock cameras are only allowed on state highways, and data from the system can only be accessed for serious crimes such as violent crimes, felonies, or gross misdemeanors.
What Flock ALPR Technology Does
Flock ALPR cameras are a public safety tool that has shown to be an important asset in solving several investigations in Renton. They capture a snapshot (not a video) of license plate information and vehicle characteristics as cars pass by the fixed camera locations. The system helps officers:
Identify vehicles connected to felony or gross misdemeanor investigations
Locate missing persons or endangered individuals when a vehicle is involved
Respond more quickly to in-progress crimes
Provide investigative leads in cases where no suspect information is available
Corroborate timelines or vehicle movements in major incidents
What Flock ALPR Technology Cannot Do
The system cannot:
Track people — it only captures vehicles and license plates
Be used for minor offenses — Renton PD may only access data for felonies and gross misdemeanors
Be used for immigration enforcement — SB 6002 prohibits sharing ALPR data with federal immigration agencies
Be used by out-of-state agencies — information stored in our records is not available to out-of-state or federal agencies
Provide real-time surveillance of individuals — it is not a live video system
Be used arbitrarily — all users must be trained and authorized under the updated policy
There is also a common question about stolen vehicles. While the system can generate alerts for stolen plates, officers must meet the legal threshold for accessing historical data under the new law.
What the Renton Police Department Updated
To comply with SB 6002 and strengthen community trust, the department implemented several key changes:
Revised ALPR policy to reflect all new state requirements
Enhanced data governance to ensure proper retention and access controls
Improved audit procedures for both internal and public-facing systems
Restricted access to only trained and authorized personnel. All authorized users have been retrained to align with the updated policy
Mandatory documentation for every search
Reinforced accountability measures to ensure compliance and transparency
Why This Matters for Public Safety
ALPR technology has proven to be valuable in solving and preventing serious crimes. The recent shooting at Coulon Park is one example where the temporary pause might have provided more investigative information, such as identifying vehicles entering or leaving the area around the time of the incident.
While technology alone cannot solve cases, it often provides critical leads that help investigators piece together events more quickly and accurately.
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From Chief Schuldt:
On May 4th, the Renton City Council voted 4-3 to pause the use of the Renton Police Department’s Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) program.
While I respect the Council’s authority and appreciate the public dialogue surrounding this issue, I do not agree with the reasoning behind the decision to suspend the program. The ALPR system has proven to be an extremely valuable investigative tool that assists law enforcement in solving serious crimes, such as recovering a family’s stolen vehicle, locating suspects, and identifying vehicles connected to violent criminal activity. These cameras are designed to provide investigators withContinue reading
From Chief Schuldt:
On May 4th, the Renton City Council voted 4-3 to pause the use of the Renton Police Department’s Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) program.
While I respect the Council’s authority and appreciate the public dialogue surrounding this issue, I do not agree with the reasoning behind the decision to suspend the program. The ALPR system has proven to be an extremely valuable investigative tool that assists law enforcement in solving serious crimes, such as recovering a family’s stolen vehicle, locating suspects, and identifying vehicles connected to violent criminal activity. These cameras are designed to provide investigators with objective leads in criminal investigations; they are not tools for mass surveillance or monitoring the daily lives of our residents.
With the passage of SB 6002, the Washington Legislature recently adopted thoughtful restrictions and safeguards governing law enforcement use of ALPR technology specifically to protect the privacy and civil liberties of Washington residents. This was done after evaluating the performance, seeing unintended consequences, listening to community concerns, and understanding the importance of this investigative tool. Those laws established clear limitations on how this technology may be used, how it can be shared, how long data may be retained, and prohibited uses involving protected activities and sensitive locations. The law also dictates criminal penalties for those who violate it. We support those safeguards and have worked to ensure our policies and practices align with those legal requirements.
The characterization of this technology as a broad surveillance system does not reflect either the program's intent or the operational reality of its use by our department. ALPR technology does not identify drivers or passengers, does not utilize facial recognition, and does not continuously track individuals. The system doesn’t identify who is behind the wheel; it only knows whether a vehicle is involved in an Amber Alert or has been entered as having been involved in a felony or gross misdemeanor. If there is no crime, the data is deleted after 21 days. Additionally, the data (which is a snapshot, not a video) is collected only from vehicles traveling in the public right-of-way, not in areas where it may infringe on an individual’s expectation of privacy.
Our responsibility as a police department is to use lawful, effective tools that help keep our community safe while respecting constitutional rights and individual privacy. We believe this program, with State laws governing its use, and an objective policy in place, achieves that balance. The information stored in our records is not available to out-of-state or federal agencies, and it cannot be used for immigration purposes. Other Washington State agencies that have a similar ALPR system will have access to the network but, like our officers, must have a justifiable felony or gross misdemeanor investigation, an identifying source, and do so under their own credentials. State agencies without a system must submit a written request to search the Renton network, which must be approved by a supervisor. This ensures that we are following the requirements set forth by our legislators while helping to ensure the safety of our neighboring communities.
I recognize and respect that members of our community hold differing opinions about the use of this technology, and those concerns deserve to be heard and discussed openly. We remain committed to transparency, accountability, and continued engagement with our residents and elected officials throughout these conversations. With any new technology, we need it to evolve with those expectations.
I will continue to advocate for the responsible use of this tool because it makes our department more effective and efficient in providing services, solving crimes, enhancing safety for the Renton community, and bringing justice for victims.
I encourage our public to share their perspective with our elected representatives (Council@rentonwa.gov). Community input is an important part of the decision-making process and ensures that your voice is heard.
Public safety should never be compromised and remains our highest priority, and we will continue working every day to protect the people of Renton with professionalism, integrity, and respect.
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On April 22 the Flock Automatic License Plate Readers were turned on. Chief Jon Schuldt paused the cameras on March 31 to ensure our policies complied with the new state law, SB 6002. We thoroughly evaluated the new law, updated our policies, strengthened data governance and retention protocols, and reinforced accountability measures to align with current legal and community expectations. All authorized users have also been trained in the new policy.
“This technology plays a vital role in supporting our investigative process and assisting in getting positive outcomes for victims in our community,” said Chief Jon Schuldt. “It’s essential thatContinue reading
On April 22 the Flock Automatic License Plate Readers were turned on. Chief Jon Schuldt paused the cameras on March 31 to ensure our policies complied with the new state law, SB 6002. We thoroughly evaluated the new law, updated our policies, strengthened data governance and retention protocols, and reinforced accountability measures to align with current legal and community expectations. All authorized users have also been trained in the new policy.
“This technology plays a vital role in supporting our investigative process and assisting in getting positive outcomes for victims in our community,” said Chief Jon Schuldt. “It’s essential that strict guardrails are in place to protect our community members. Our updated policy ensures the system is used responsibly, transparently, and within the confines of state law and best practices for public safety.”
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From Chief Schuldt: A recent University of Washington report found that some law enforcement agencies nationwide have utilized Flock camera systems for unauthorized searches, including immigration and ICE-related queries. These blanket searches spanned thousands of systems nationwide. Renton was not specifically targeted, but our system and other Washington agencies were included in the expansive searches.
As soon as we learned about this, I immediately paused all external data sharing through our Flock system. Outside agencies must now submit specific, legitimate criminal law enforcement requests to access any data.
There’s no indication that any Renton-specific data was misused—but even the possibilityContinue reading
From Chief Schuldt: A recent University of Washington report found that some law enforcement agencies nationwide have utilized Flock camera systems for unauthorized searches, including immigration and ICE-related queries. These blanket searches spanned thousands of systems nationwide. Renton was not specifically targeted, but our system and other Washington agencies were included in the expansive searches.
As soon as we learned about this, I immediately paused all external data sharing through our Flock system. Outside agencies must now submit specific, legitimate criminal law enforcement requests to access any data.
There’s no indication that any Renton-specific data was misused—but even the possibility is unacceptable. We’re working with Flock to strengthen safeguards and ensure access is limited to lawful use only.
Flock remains a valuable public safety tool; in utilizing it, we are equally committed to protecting your safety and your privacy.
