(The Center Square) – Sheriffs and police chiefs across Washington state are turning off their agencies’ automatic license plate readers in response to a new law, leaving costly public investments sitting idle.
Gov. Bob Ferguson signed Senate Bill 6002 on Monday, which immediately required law enforcement agencies to implement new guidelines in their ALPR systems. Democrats passed the law to stop federal immigration authorities from accessing the data and to rein in an expanding surveillance state.
The proposal gained bipartisan support, but some Republicans warned that enforcing these new rules around data sharing and retention could harm public safety. Pierce and Spokane County, representing opposite ends of the state, confirmed this week that they’re turning off their systems due to SB 6002.
“I believe some in the Legislature had good intentions,” Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels wrote in a statement on Wednesday in response to Ferguson’s action, “but unfortunately, it seems they did not completely understand ALPR technology, how effective it is, or the many ways it is used and not used.”
Nowels says SB 6002 has essentially made it “nearly impossible” to continue using ALPR technology.
Some agencies mount ALPR cameras throughout the community or on police vehicles, allowing officers to save time they might have otherwise spent manually searching through hundreds of license plates.
The technology has helped find missing people, locate stolen vehicles and apprehend murder suspects.
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office has installed dozens of ALPR cameras. Corporal Mark Gregory told The Center Square last May that each costs about $3,000 annually after maintenance, plus $750 to install. He said they’re more efficient than hiring more deputies to do the same work at a higher price.
Nowels is consulting with attorneys to comply with SB 6002 before turning Spokane’s system back on.
“I’m all for privacy, but I am also for solving crimes and finding missing loved ones. It’s a balancing act,” Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank posted to X. “I am not saying this because ‘I’m mad, and I’m taking my toys home.’ … I am just letting you know our solve rate and prosecution rate will decrease.”
Pierce and Spokane County aren’t alone. Seattle turned off its ALPR system last month at the direction of Mayor Katie Wilson in anticipation of SB 6002. She and other jurisdictions had already voiced concerns about surveillance programs, with some turning off their systems over ongoing immigration concerns.
According to a report by The Tri-City Herald, the cities of Kennewick, Pasco and Richland have temporarily shut down their systems to ensure compliance with SB 6002. Prosser also deactivated its system this year after Texas authorities used its data to track someone suspected of traveling for an abortion.
Prosser must continue paying for its ALPR contract through November 2026, leaving taxpayers on the hook for technology collecting dust. This is the case in several other jurisdictions that have shuttered ALPR programs over concerns that federal authorities are using data to track immigrants nationwide.
Some agencies proactively responded to these concerns by limiting who they share ALPR data with, as required by SB 6002, rather than turning off the programs altogether due to immigration enforcement.
“I will continue to work with legislators and other law enforcement organizations to help find a reasonable solution to the unintended consequences that I believe make our community less safe,” Nowels, who also heads the Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs, wrote in his statement.
