Do something about it.

To the Records Custodian, {{jurisdiction}}:

Under the public records law of {{state}}, I request copies of the
following records held by {{agency}} or by {{jurisdiction}}:

1. Any current inventory, list, or summary of surveillance technologies
   operated by or on behalf of the agency, including but not limited to
   automated license plate readers (ALPRs), fixed or mobile camera
   systems, facial recognition or other biometric identification systems,
   unmanned aerial systems (drones), acoustic gunshot detection, cell-site
   simulators, and social-media monitoring tools.

2. All contracts, purchase orders, service agreements, subscription
   agreements, quotes, and renewal documents executed within the last five
   years for any technology described in item 1, regardless of vendor.

3. Any written policy, procedure, general order, or directive governing
   the use of any technology described in item 1, including provisions on
   authorization, permitted purposes, retention, auditing, and discipline.

4. Records sufficient to show the data retention period applied to each
   technology described in item 1.

5. Records sufficient to show which outside agencies, jurisdictions, task
   forces, fusion centers, or private entities may access, query, receive,
   or search data collected by any technology described in item 1, and the
   legal standard applied to such access.

6. Any agreement, memorandum of understanding, or account arrangement
   under which {{agency}} may query or receive data from a surveillance
   system operated by another agency or by a private vendor, including
   regional, county, statewide, and vendor-hosted networks.

7. Any audit, audit log summary, compliance review, or misuse
   investigation concerning any technology described in item 1 within the
   last three years.

Please provide records in electronic format. If any portion is withheld,
please identify the specific exemption claimed and provide all
non-exempt portions.

If fulfilling this request will incur fees, please provide an itemized
estimate before proceeding.

Thank you for your assistance.

{{today}}

Good evening. My name is [your name] and I live in {{jurisdiction}}.

I am here about the automated license plate reader system.

I want to be clear about what I am not saying. I am not saying our police
officers are acting in bad faith, and I am not asking the department to
give up tools it needs to investigate crime. Investigating a suspect and
recording everyone are different activities.

What concerns me is that this system records vehicles that pass within a
camera's view, including mine, and keeps that record in a database that
can be searched later. I am not suspected of anything. Neither is almost
anyone else in this room.

Cities that audit these systems have found searches their own policies
could not explain — which is an argument for auditing, and also an
argument for not collecting more than a case actually requires.

So my question for staff is specific, and I would like it answered on the
record:

How long is our data retained, which outside agencies can search it, and
what does an officer have to show before running a historical search on a
plate that is not connected to an open case?

If the answer to any part of that is "we don't know," I would ask the
council to find out before the contract renews.

Thank you.

Subject: Public comment follow-up — license plate reader policy

Dear Members of the {{jurisdiction}} Council,

Thank you for the opportunity to comment at the meeting on {{today}}. I am
writing to enter my remarks into the written record and to repeat the
question I asked, so that it is documented:

1. What is the data retention period for license plate reader records
   collected in {{jurisdiction}}?
2. Which outside agencies, task forces, or regional systems can search or
   receive that data, and under what legal standard?
3. What must an officer demonstrate before running a historical search on
   a plate not connected to an open case?
4. When does the current agreement come up for renewal, and will there be
   a public agenda item before that decision?

I would be grateful for a written response, and I would welcome the
opportunity to review any audit reports or use policies that are public
records.

Respectfully,
[your name]
[your address in {{jurisdiction}}]

To the Records Custodian, {{jurisdiction}}:

Under the public records law of {{state}}, I request the following records
held by {{jurisdiction}} or {{agency}}:

1. The current contract, service agreement, or subscription agreement for
   automated license plate reader services or equipment, including all
   exhibits, schedules, statements of work, and amendments.

2. Records sufficient to show the initial term, current term, expiration
   date, and renewal mechanism of that agreement, including whether
   renewal occurs automatically absent notice, and the deadline by which
   notice of non-renewal must be given.

3. Any purchase orders, invoices, or budget line items associated with the
   agreement for the current and prior fiscal year.

4. Any staff report, memorandum, or presentation prepared for the
   legislative body concerning the adoption, renewal, expansion, or
   evaluation of this system.

5. Records sufficient to identify any successor, replacement, or
   supplemental agreement for automated license plate reader capability
   from any other vendor, or any arrangement providing access to a
   regional, county, statewide, or vendor-hosted license plate database.

Please provide records in electronic format.

{{today}}

Subject: Request — advance notice of ALPR contract renewal agenda item

Dear {{jurisdiction}} Clerk,

I understand the agreement for automated license plate reader services is
scheduled to expire or renew in the coming months.

Could you please confirm:

1. Whether renewal or non-renewal will appear as a public agenda item;
2. Whether it is expected on the consent agenda or as a discussion item;
3. The anticipated meeting date.

I would also appreciate being notified when the relevant staff report is
published, so that residents have an opportunity to review it before the
meeting.

Thank you for your help.

[your name]
[your address in {{jurisdiction}}]