All future automated license plate reader purchases, expansions or renewals will require Public Safety Committee and City Commission approvals.
The city of Grand Rapids will set its ALPR system under its Surveillance Policy, per a city press release Friday morning. City Manager Mark Washington said he will issue an administrative order by mid-September.
Previously, these purchases went through normal procurement channels, according to a city spokesperson, where any purchase above $100,000 must be approved by the City Commission. This move adds the additional requirement of a green light from the Public Safety Committee. Purchases under $100,000 require only city manager approval, and purchases under $10,000 require Purchasing Department approval.
On Tuesday, the Grand Rapids Police Department and Flock Safety presented on the surveillance system, which has garnered national criticism in recent months. The city release called this a move to increase transparency and trust.
Grand Rapids first adopted ALPRs in 2012, switching providers twice in the 14 years since. Because the surveillance policy was adopted in 2015, ALPRs were exempt from the policy.
In the Tuesday presentation, Deputy Chief Mike Maycroft said the technology had been used in a number of criminal investigations and missing persons cases. Data is owned by the city, is deleted after 30 days and does not include facial recognition. It is not sold, Flock representatives said.
Members of the Public Safety Committee expressed concerns over privacy and abuses of the system.
Moving the system under this policy will incorporate the city Flock cameras under surveillance reporting effective 2027. All governance, audit and reporting rules that apply to other surveillance technologies will now apply to the ALPR system.
“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 in a prepared statement. “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.”
“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,” said Mayor David LaGrand in a prepared statement.
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