State Rep. Alicia St. Germaine introduced a three-bill package this week that would force Michigan police agencies to delete license plate reader data after 30 days and slap criminal penalties on anyone who misuses the footage. The Macomb County Republican, joined by Reps. Ron Robinson and Mike Mueller, filed House Bills 6411, 6412, and 6413 on Thursday, setting up a new front in the state's escalating fight over Flock Safety's camera network.
According to WXYZ 7 News Detroit, the proposal would exempt data tied to active investigations from the 30-day deletion clock, and would penalize personal use of Flock data with fines and prison time. St. Germaine told the station that police chiefs in her district asked for the legislation, and that she does not believe widespread misuse is the norm, but said the cameras and automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, should not be used for personal reasons.
The package spells out what counts as misuse. Improper searches of people not connected to an active alert or a legitimate law-enforcement purpose, sharing data with unauthorized entities, or using it for commercial or personal purposes would be punishable as a 93-day misdemeanor for a first offense; a second or subsequent offense could carry up to four years in prison, according to Michigan House Republicans. The package specifically targets non-law-enforcement uses like personal background checks or private commercial ventures.
A Crowded Field of Competing Proposals
St. Germaine's package is not the only ALPR bill working its way through Lansing, and it is not the strictest. Michigan Public reports that State Senator Jim Runestad introduced Senate Bill 1131 in July, which would set a tougher 14-day automatic deletion limit and require police to obtain a search warrant before querying plate databases outside active cases.
Earlier in the year, Reps. Jimmie Wilson and Doug Wozniak introduced bipartisan House Bills 5492 and 5493, which would also cap data retention at 14 days while adding transparency and agency policy requirements and a $1,000 civil remedy for citizens whose data is improperly accessed, per the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Those bills were developed with input from the ACLU of Michigan and other civil liberties advocates. With three separate packages now in play, Michigan lawmakers face real disagreement over how short a retention window should be and whether warrants ought to be mandatory before non-emergency searches.
Police Groups Want Clear Rules, Not a Ban
The Police Officers Association of Michigan has acknowledged ALPRs as an important law enforcement tool, used to locate stolen vehicles, identify suspects, find missing persons, and support active investigations, per WXYZ 7 News Detroit's reporting. The association said it is reviewing St. Germaine's legislation and its impact on officers and departments statewide, and it argued that any criminal-penalty law should set clear standards for accessing, using, retaining, and sharing ALPR information, with proper training and policies for officers acting in good faith.
Sterling Heights Police Chief Andrew Satterfield told the station he supports more guardrails around Flock camera use. His department runs about 24 Flock cameras and has not experienced misuse issues, he said, crediting monthly audits he personally conducts. Satterfield said the cameras are used daily in investigations and help detectives solve crimes, even as the Sterling Heights City Council weighs whether to end or extend its own Flock contract.
Michigan Cities Keep Pulling the Plug
More than 180 law enforcement agencies across Michigan, roughly one in three departments statewide, now deploy automated license plate readers, according to a report relayed by CBS News. Most of those systems run through Atlanta-based Flock Safety.
Even as adoption grows, several Metro Detroit communities have gone the other way. Monroe shut down all 23 of its cameras this week, Westland's contract ended in July and its cameras were slated for removal, and Eastpointe has also ended its Flock contract, per ClickOnDetroit. Concerns in Westland centered on corporate data sharing and outside agency access, including federal immigration authorities. Hoodline has tracked the trend closely, including in its recent coverage of Monroe killing its camera deal and Independence Township authorizing legal action to force camera removal if necessary.
Not every Michigan resident is on the same side of the debate. WXYZ 7 News Detroit spoke with Harrison Township resident Jim Schwesig and Rochester Hills resident David Asker, who offered differing perspectives on the cameras as the legislation moves forward.
Federal Pressure and the Company's Response
Michigan's fight is playing out alongside a federal push. U.S. Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi and Michael Cloud introduced the bipartisan No FLOCK Act, which would withhold 10 percent of a state's annual federal highway funds if it fails to restrict ALPR devices to five approved operational uses, including toll collection, identifying stolen vehicles, and locating missing persons, Hoodline reported.
A Flock spokesperson told WXYZ 7 News Detroit that the company's technology helps law enforcement solve serious crimes and find missing people, and said Flock supports thoughtful, bipartisan legislation that includes privacy, transparency, and accountability guardrails while preserving responsible law-enforcement use of the technology. Nationwide, Flock Safety operates roughly 120,000 cameras, according to a report relayed by NPR. The company recommends a default seven-day retention period but allows agencies to negotiate custom terms.
The ACLU of Michigan has warned that passive, continuous vehicle tracking creates a digital trail that could let authorities monitor visits to medical clinics, political rallies, and places of worship without judicial oversight, according to the ACLU of Michigan. The organization has also raised concerns about the technology's potential for surveillance. For now, St. Germaine's legislation needs further conversations and votes, while HB 5492 and HB 5493 remain in the House Judiciary Committee.
