WA Democrat Legislators Want to Limit Use of License Plate-Reading Cameras

Democrat legislators and the American Civil Liberties Union are pushing for legislation in January that would limit the use of Flock license plate-reading cameras in WA.

   Dems side with illegals over crime detection

Several special interest groups have filed lawsuits, and some west-side Police departments have discontinued their use after being pressured.  Flock cameras allow both stationary cameras on streets and on Police vehicles to flash on plates, and trigger an alert if the vehicle is reported stolen, or otherwise tied to criminal activity.

  The WA Standard reports US Border Patrol and ICE often utilize, where permitted, Flock data to help locate and apprehend illegals, illegal alien criminal suspects, and others who are not in the US legally.

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However, Democrat legislators, under the guise of calling them "guardrails" believe Flock cameras should be limited.

Some of the restrictions would include how long the data can be retained. Dems want it deleted after 72 hours, but law enforcement says that could hinder criminal investigations which cannot always be solved in 3 days.  Law enforcement says access to Flock camera data is necessary as part of many criminal incidents.

Some states don't have any deletion deadlines, and at least four have not included Flock data among the information that can be accessed with public records requests.

This Flock legislation follows multiple attempts by WA State Dems to weaken law enforcement by lessening sentences and penalties for many felony crimes a few years ago. After  crime rates soared in WA, most of those restrictions were rolled back.