AIRWAY HEIGHTS, Wash. — Washington state lawmakers are moving to establish the first regulations governing automated license plate readers after reports surfaced that immigration agents have been accessing camera networks across the country.
Senate Bill 6002 aims to create rules for how law enforcement agencies can use data collected from Flock cameras and similar systems. The bipartisan legislation comes as these surveillance tools operate without state oversight despite widespread use by local agencies.
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office operates up to 100 of these cameras, while Airway Heights Police Department is among several agencies within the county using the technology. Currently, Washington has no laws regulating how agencies collect, store or share this data.
“I’m hopeful about meaningful legislation around flock cameras,” said Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels.
The proposed bill would prohibit using camera data for immigration enforcement while still allowing agencies to search for stolen vehicles, locate missing people or investigate vehicles involved in felony crimes.
“I don’t think this legislation is going to change any of that. It won’t change our behavior. And so I have no issue with that,” Nowels said.
The sheriff’s primary concern centers on the bill’s proposed three-day limit for data retention. Currently, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office retains camera data for 30 days.
“It’s not immediate that we have a suspect in every single violent crime or homicide. If we say 72 hours and then the data disappears, well, what if we develop a suspect or a suspect vehicle two weeks after the occurrence? Well, that data is gone and it’s gone forever, and we can’t use it,” Nowels explained.
The legislation is sponsored by both Democratic and Republican senators and will be introduced when the legislative session begins next week.
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