A San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury report released Monday, Aug. 3, found that local law enforcement agencies lack sufficient controls to prevent federal immigration authorities from accessing license plate reader data collected across the county.
The finding comes as Bay Area agencies face growing scrutiny over how Flock Safety camera data is shared. Local News Matters reported that privacy watchdogs have raised concerns about the data being used for targeted surveillance of immigrants in potential violation of state law. San Mateo's own police department operates 66 ALPR cameras through its Real Time Information Center, launched in 2024.
The grand jury reviewed 17 county law enforcement agencies operating Automated License Plate Reader systems, covering more than 580 cameras. Its report, titled "Is Our Flock of ALPR Cameras Properly Tended?" found that most agencies did not document criteria, process or controls governing in-state data sharing in a manner sufficient to demonstrate compliance with law.
California Civil Code 1798.90.5 restricts ALPR data sharing to public agencies. Sharing with federal immigration enforcement bodies such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or U.S. Customs and Border Protection would potentially violate that statute.
Bay Area agencies pulling back
The concern is not hypothetical. In February, Mountain View shut off its 30 Flock Safety cameras after officials discovered federal and state law enforcement agencies had accessed city data in violation of local policies. In June, a San Francisco Police Department audit found its Flock system had been "improperly queried" hundreds of times. In July, the Los Angeles Police Department suspended its Flock contract over data-sharing and privacy concerns.
Across the Bay Area, cities and counties have been reexamining their Flock Safety contracts in light of the company's record of sharing data with ICE and CBP, according to SFGate.
Sheriff's Office responds
A spokesperson for the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office said in an email that the office is committed to ensuring the technology is used for its intended purpose and maintains a strict ALPR policy, with compliance verified through periodic audits conducted by Sheriff's Office personnel.
Sheriff Ken Binder and all local city councils in the county are required to respond to the grand jury's findings.
What the grand jury found
The report credited Flock Safety with eliminating new out-of-state data-sharing relationships during 2025, calling it "meaningful progress." But it flagged continuing deficiencies in policy maintenance, audit practices and oversight of in-state data sharing.
Among the 18 agencies the grand jury reviewed, all but one shared ALPR data with private university security departments without establishing whether those entities qualified as public agencies under California law.
The grand jury recognized Atherton, Belmont, Pacifica and Woodside for strong transparency and audit practices.
According to city records, San Mateo Police Department ALPR data is stored for a minimum of 30 days, with evidence-related data retained until a criminal matter is resolved.
Grand Jury Foreperson Michael Kovalich and Foreperson Pro Tem Liz Figueroa led the 2025-2026 panel that produced the report. Residents can review the full report through the San Mateo County Superior Court website.
