City brings automated license plate reader technology under surveillance policy to boost transparency

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — City Manager Mark Washington announced today that he will issue an administrative order by mid-September that places the Grand Rapids Police Department’s automated license plate reader system (ALPR) under the City’s Surveillance Technology Policy based on feedback from the City Commission and Public Safety Committee. The order will require any future purchase, renewal, or expansion of the system to go through Public Safety Committee review and City Commission approval, which is consistent with the process followed to acquire other surveillance technologies. 

Washington’s decision comes after detailed presentations from the Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) and Flock Safety to the City Commission’s Public Safety Committee on Tuesday, Aug. 25. By bringing ALPRs under the Surveillance Technology Policy, the City aims to increase transparency around police technology and strengthen public trust.

GRPD has used automated license plate readers for more than 10 years. The City Commission first approved an ALPR system in 2012, three years before the City adopted its Surveillance Technology Policy. The department has treated newer systems, including Flock, as replacements for the original technology.

Administrative Policy 15-03 exempts surveillance equipment purchased before March 24, 2015, along with replacement equipment that does not significantly change the technology’s capabilities. 

“The City was already using license plate readers before the Surveillance Policy existed and it has been extremely helpful in solving crimes and locating missing persons,” Washington said. “Even so, as technology continues to evolve, feedback from City Commissioners and members of the Public Safety Committee indicated the need for oversight to evolve too. We want a community safe from criminal activity but also respect people’s right to reasonable privacy.”

Mayor David LaGrand expressed similar thoughts, stating, "Our city government is committed to transparency and accountability in everything we do, particularly in the work of public safety. It is clear to our Commission, our City Manager and our Police Department that placing the use of license plate readers under the controls of our City Surveillance Policy aligns with our goal of providing transparency. Our Surveillance Policy allows us to limit the use of this technology, constantly have public review of technology as it evolves, and engage the public in ongoing conversations about best practices and strategies that honor personal freedom, while keeping our community safe.” 

During the Aug. 25 presentation, GRPD described how ALPR technology helps investigations involving homicides, missing people, stolen vehicles and violent offenders. The department said searches are audited, most data is kept for 30 days, and the system blocks certain uses, including immigration-related searches, reproductive health-related searches, facial recognition, audio monitoring and live video feeds.

“This decision does not say the technology lacks public safety value or our officers lack integrity,” Washington said. “Just the opposite, it shows we value technology and are not afraid of transparent rules that show how we use advanced tools.”

The administrative order will:

• Apply all governance, oversight, reporting, complaint, audit and transparency rules of Administrative Policy 15-03 (Surveillance Technology Policy) to future purchase, renewal, or expansion of ALPR systems.
• Allow the 31 existing ALPR units to operate with subsequent renewal requiring Public Safety Committee review and City Commission approval.
• Require adherence to the Surveillance Technology Policy if GRPD determines a need to activate new surveillance features or expands the system before the current contracts end.
• Define prohibited uses of existing ALPR technology consistent with current laws and City policies.
• Accept GRPD’s Aug. 25 presentation as the annual report on ALPR technology for 2026. Starting in 2027, ALPR technology will be included in regular annual surveillance reporting.

Administrative Policy 15-03 requires the Public Safety Committee and City Commission to review proposed surveillance technology, including privacy and civil‑liberties impacts. The policy also calls for clear operational rules, data‑management standards, a public hearing and fiscal review before approving new surveillance tools. Ongoing oversight comes through the Office of Oversight and Public Accountability, which publishes public reports on surveillance technology.

“Our objectives are simple,” Washington said. “We want a safe community, effective tools for policing, and we want the community to trust that use of those tools follow clear rules and strong oversight. Strong transparency is essential to building and maintaining that trust.”

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