CHENEY, Wash. — License plate reader cameras remain visible throughout Cheney, but the Cheney Police Department wants the public to know these devices are no longer active.
The Cheney Police Department shared in a Facebook post that it deactivated its Flock Safety cameras in April 2026 and is not currently using them, according to a recent Facebook post from the department. That post also stating the department is actively working to remove the cameras.
“They are equipment that must be properly removed and returned to the company. Damaging them during removal would create an unnecessary cost to the City and ultimately to taxpayers. The cameras have been deactivated, meaning they are completely powered down and are not collecting, transmitting, or providing access to data. They are not being used while they remain physically in place.”
The decision to disable the cameras has generated strong reactions from community members on both sides of the issue. Some residents worry the removal will lead to increases in crime, while others view the surveillance technology as an invasion of privacy.
The Cheney Police Department’s decision to deactivate the cameras came after new state legislation went into effect that regulated where the cameras can be installed and how long data collected by the devices can be stored.
“The Cheney Police Department remains committed to using technology responsibly while protecting the privacy and rights of the people we serve. We will continue to evaluate law enforcement technology and our policies as state law and requirements evolve,” said the police department on Facebook.
Cheney is not alone in this decision. Other agencies throughout the region, including Spokane County and Airway Heights, have also disabled their license plate reader cameras in response to the same legislation.
License plate reader technology scans the license plates of vehicles passing by the cameras and can be used by law enforcement to locate stolen vehicles, identify suspects in criminal investigations, and track traffic patterns. However, privacy advocates have raised concerns about the technology’s potential for misuse and the collection of data on law-abiding citizens.
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