Fixed Automatic License Plate Reader
(ALPR) City Council Review
Chief Daniel Pistor
Department of Public Safety
April 21, 2026
2 of 24City of Sunnyvale – ALPR Program Review – April 2026 Discussion
• ALPR Technology Overview
• How Sunnyvale Uses the System
• Privacy Protections and Oversight
• IT Dept. System Review
• Program Results
• State Law and Policy Context
• Questions and Discussion
3 of 24City of Sunnyvale – ALPR Program Review – April 2026 About ALPR Technology
Fixed Automated
License Plate Readers
(ALPR):
• Fixed cameras that
capture images of
vehicles traveling on
public roadways for
use in crime
investigations
What is recorded:
• License plate
• Date and time
• Location
• Vehicle image and
basic characteristics
(color, make, body
type)
Purpose:
• Identify vehicles
associated with
criminal investigations
• Locate stolen vehicles
• Assist with crime
investigations
• Assist with pro-active
policing
• Locate missing persons
4 of 24City of Sunnyvale – ALPR Program Review – April 2026 • The Sunnyvale system:
Does not collect personal identifying information
Does not use facial recognition technology
Does not monitor or track people
Does not enforce traffic violations
Does not collect driver or occupant information
Does not provide DMV vehicle registration information Cannot be used for civil immigration enforcement
What ALPR Does NOT Do
5 of 24City of Sunnyvale – ALPR Program Review – April 2026 • Sunnyvale’s 20 FixedALPR cameras are:
Located along major roadways
Not located in residential neighborhoods
Fixed in place (not mobile)
• Cameras capture vehicles when they pass a
fixed location
Where Fixed ALPR Cameras Are Located
6 of 24City of Sunnyvale – ALPR Program Review – April 2026 • ALPR supports investigations by helping DPS:
Identify vehicles associated with reported crimes
Prevent crime by identifying wanted vehicles and alerting Public Safety Confirm investigative timelines
Narrow the pool of possible suspects
Locate stolen vehicles
Locate vehicles linked to potential witnesses
Locate vehicles linked to missing person alerts
• ALPR is used as an investigative tool to supplement traditional police work
How ALPR is Used in Sunnyvale
7 of 24City of Sunnyvale – ALPR Program Review – April 2026 How ALPR Assists Sunnyvale Investigations
Targeted
SearchCrime Reported System Results Investigative
Review
• Officers receive
report of a crime
Vehicle description
or license plate
may be provided
Possible location,
timeframe may be
identified
• Authorized and
trained personnel
log into system
Search conducted
using specific
criteria
Searches require
investigative
justification
• System returns
images matching
search criteria
Vehicle, location,
time/date
Staff verify possible
matches
• Compare results
with other
evidence
Helps confirm
timelines and
vehicle location
Generate
investigative leads
8 of 24City of Sunnyvale – ALPR Program Review – April 2026 What Information Is Provided In An Alert
9 of 24City of Sunnyvale – ALPR Program Review – April 2026 What Information Is Provided In An Alert
10 of 24City of Sunnyvale – ALPR Program Review – April 2026 • ALPR alerts notify DPS
Stolen vehicles, vehicles used in felony crimes, missing persons • Officers cross-check and verify ALPR alerts with DMV records, stolen vehicle database through the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS)
CLETS database is gold standard of IT security
Officers must be trained and credentialed to access
Need to Know; Right to Know
• Provides another check and balance on the system
• Human validation is a key component
Several Layers of Data Protection
11 of 24City of Sunnyvale – ALPR Program Review – April 2026 • Since the October 2024 launch
Produced 28,000+ alerts, including:
• Stolen vehicles
• Stolen plates
• Vehicles linked to felony crimes
• Location of a missing person
Contributed to:
• 81 leads
• 61 arrests
• Crimes investigated include robbery, homicide, stolen vehicle cases and organized theft
Fixed ALPR Program Results in Sunnyvale
12 of 24City of Sunnyvale – ALPR Program Review – April 2026 • In one homicide case, ALPR data helped investigators:
Identify and confirm suspect vehicle
Establish a timeline of vehicle movement
Connect locations to the suspect
Confirm information from other sources
• More recently, ALPR information contributed to the arrests of suspects in the murder of Kembery Chirinos-Flores, a 24-year-old Mountain View resident and mother of a 5-year-old son
Case Examples: Homicide Investigation
13 of 24City of Sunnyvale – ALPR Program Review – April 2026 • Between May 2025 and August 2025, Sunnyvale experienced 8 violent takeover style robberies targeting Indian Jewelry stores in Sunnyvale. • Stolen vehicles were being used.
• Flock provided an alert of numerous stolen vehicles entering Sunnyvale. • Patrol developed a response plan and arrived at a jewelry store on El Camino Real as several stolen vehicles arrived.
• Prevented robbery and made 5 arrests.
• The Flock System provided the early warning which, combined with pro- active patrol response, prevented additional victims and injuries.
Case Example: Indian Jewelry Store Robberies
14 of 24City of Sunnyvale – ALPR Program Review – April 2026 • On March 6, 2026, around midnight, Public Safety received a Flock alert for a vehicle that was being driven by an elderly female who was reported missing by the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. • She was last seen at approximately 1 p.m.
• At approximately 12:13 a.m., Flock located the vehicle, which was being driven by the missing person in Sunnyvale.
• Happy to report that the elderly female was reunited with her family unharmed.
Case Example: Elderly Resident Lost and Located
15 of 24City of Sunnyvale – ALPR Program Review – April 2026 • Sunnyvale’s ALPR program includes multiple safeguards, including:
30-day data retention before automatic deletion
Access restricted only to authorized personnel
Investigative justification required for system searches Detailed system audit logs
Data sharing is limited to approved law enforcement requests following command-level review
Sunnyvale's ALPR program upholds the California Values Act and Sunnyvale Statement on Values and Public Service
Sunnyvale’s Privacy Safeguards
16 of 24City of Sunnyvale – ALPR Program Review – April 2026 • ALPR data access requires:
Individual user login credentials
Case number or investigative justification
Activity logging and auditing
• Data sharing:
Limited to approved law enforcement agencies
Requires documented request and command staff approval Must comply with state law
Data Access Controls
17 of 24City of Sunnyvale – ALPR Program Review – April 2026 • The City’s Information Technology Department recently conducted an internal system review
• Scope included:
Confirm how the system is configured
Recheck data-sharing settings
Review user permissions
Review system access logs
Confirm that federal agencies cannot access data
Internal IT Review
18 of 24City of Sunnyvale – ALPR Program Review – April 2026 • Sunnyvale’s IT Department confirmed:
The system is not configured to share data with federal agencies No federal agencies appear as authorized data-sharing partners User roles and permissions properly configured
Access controls in place
All searches logged
No generic user accounts
IT Review Findings
19 of 24City of Sunnyvale – ALPR Program Review – April 2026 • IT review confirmed:
30-day data retention policy active
Automatic deletion after retention period
Manual exports logged
Evidence preservation procedures documented
• Audit logs track searches, exports, deletions and administrator activity Data Retention and Security Controls
20 of 24City of Sunnyvale – ALPR Program Review – April 2026 • Staff has reviewed how the Sunnyvale platform’s data-sharing settings are configured:
ALPR Data Settings
Permitted Access Sunnyvale System
National Lookup Never Enabled
State Lookup Enabled at launch; disabled January 2026
Federal and State agencies not listed as
sharing partners
Must submit online request; Command Staff
must review and approve
Local and State agencies listed as sharing
partners
Direct access is currently permitted to
27 agencies under data-sharing agreements
21 of 24City of Sunnyvale – ALPR Program Review – April 2026 • The Loma Linda Healthcare System Veterans Affairs Police Department (a Veterans Affairs agencybased in Loma Linda, CA) accessed the system twice in May 2025
One search was hit-and-run investigation; another was an attempt to locate a suicidal veteran
Search was compliant with State law.
• Search was conducted through the statewide lookup function, which provides the largest "net" to locate vehicles
Search function limited to license plate information only • No national sharing occurred
ALPR Data Settings: Additional Finding
22 of 24City of Sunnyvale – ALPR Program Review – April 2026 California Civil Code SB 34
Written ALPR usage policies
Documented data-sharing procedures
Audit requirements
Limits on who can access ALPR data
Sunnyvale’s program operates in compliance with these requirements California Law Governing ALPR
23 of 24City of Sunnyvale – ALPR Program Review – April 2026 • Cities across California have taken different approaches to Fixed ALPR programs in recent months
• Some have:
Reviewed policies and procedures related to privacy and data sharing Strengthened oversight policies
Continued use with existing or additional safeguards
Cancelled or temporarily paused programs
Reinstated use of ALPR after updating security protocols City ALPR Programs Under Review
24 of 24City of Sunnyvale – ALPR Program Review – April 2026 Alternatives
Options Before the City Council
1. Maintain the City’s current fixed ALPR system with stronger oversight measures to include an annual audit conducted by Public Safety and ITD, provide the City Council with an annual audit report of the ALPR system, monitor state legislation, and reevaluate program and vendor options prior to 2027 contract renewal.
2. Continue program with existing safeguards
3. Provide alternative direction to staff
Staff Recommendation
• Maintain the City’s current fixed ALPR system with stronger oversight measures to include an annual audit conducted by Public Safety and ITD, provide the City Council with an annual audit report of the ALPR system, monitor state legislation, and reevaluate program and vendor options prior to 2027 contract renewal.