Renton’s automated license plate reader program is on ice again after a razor-thin vote at City Hall. On May 4, the Renton City Council voted 4-3 to pause the Renton Police Department’s automated license plate reader program, shutting down the Flock Safety cameras that were already under scrutiny. Councilmembers said the move comes after weeks of public comment and intense debate over privacy and public safety, and that the pause is meant to give them more time to gather information before deciding whether to turn the cameras back on.
Council Hits Pause After Heated Public Comment
The motion to pause the system passed only after a string of residents pressed councilmembers to slow down during the audience comment period, according to the City of Renton. Local reporting shows the vote split 4-3, with Council President Pérez and three colleagues voting to pause and three members opposed, and no firm date was set to restore the cameras. The move follows earlier starts and stops as the department worked to match operations with new state rules, a back-and-forth timeline that local outlets have tracked for months. Renton Signal and Renton Reporter both reviewed the council discussion and public testimony.
Chief Pushes Back and Defends Data Rules
Police Chief Jon Schuldt pushed back in a department Facebook post, saying he does not agree with the council’s reasoning and encouraging residents to share their perspectives with elected representatives at [email protected]. The post states the ALPR technology "does not identify drivers or passengers," does not use facial recognition, and that data not connected to a crime is deleted after 21 days, according to the department. The post also points residents to the city’s engagement hub for more details. Renton Police Department
Privacy Jitters and Immigration Fears Ripple Statewide
The pause in Renton mirrors concerns that have been surfacing across Washington after a University of Washington Center for Human Rights report documented instances where federal immigration authorities and out-of-state agencies were able to search or access Flock network data, a finding that has fueled calls for tighter limits on who can see vehicle-tracking records. Advocates and some councilmembers said those revelations heightened fear among immigrant communities and shaped public testimony at the May 4 meeting. The UW report laid out audit records and specific examples that helped shove the issue squarely into local politics. UW Center for Human Rights
New State Law Tightens ALPR Rules
This spring the Legislature passed SB 6002, creating a statewide framework that restricts some ALPR uses, requires agencies to log and audit access, and sets a general retention window agencies must follow. The bill also bars ALPR use for immigration enforcement and establishes penalties and a private right of action for violations, measures that prompted departments across Washington to pause systems while they updated policies and training. Senate bill report SB 6002 and local coverage detail how the law reshaped agency practices; Renton briefly suspended ALPRs earlier while it worked to comply. Renton Reporter
What Comes Next
Councilmembers asked staff to return with more information about access controls, audit trails, and interagency data sharing before deciding whether to restore the cameras, and the pause will stay in place while that work continues. The police department reiterated pathways for residents to weigh in and pointed to the city’s online engagement hub for updates. City of Renton and the department's Renton Police Department list ways for the public to submit feedback.
