Automated License Plate Reader Policies

At a glance

What: how the city uses automated license plate readers (ALPRs): the LADOT use policy (agenda item 16, per Lee) and the LAPD agreement with Axon (item 20).
Where it stands: the Council adopted the LADOT policy on 2026-10-21 as part of the report on Automated Bus Lane Enforcement Program (13 ayes, 1 no; the journal shows the no vote was Lee). The LAPD agreement with Axon (see Axon Lightpost Pilot Program) was continued to Tuesday October 27 by 10 ayes, 0 noes.
Next: the Axon item returns October 27; the captions say it was discussed at a Council committee the day before (2026-10-20).

Lee called the item special. He said its authorized users include contractors, that the city's master data license with a vendor (rendered "Haiden AI" in the captions) raises concerns about contractor access to city data and about reported espionage accusations involving its founders, and that page 10 lets the department and its contractors aggregate enforcement history on specific vehicles and registered individuals.
He contrasted it with the Police Commission's LAPD agreement, which keeps data city-owned and bars sharing with private contractors, and said the Council seems to object to which department uses the technology rather than the technology.
Rodriguez agreed the application is inconsistent, said she introduced a motion for data-sharing protections across all city departments and contracts, and supported the LADOT item.

Speakers and callers urged rejecting all license plate readers or the Axon agreement, citing fears of data reaching federal immigration enforcement and calling for council approval before any camera is installed.
One said the LAPD presentation the day before omitted error rates (161 false hits in 60 days) from a report that led the city not to renew an earlier vendor contract.

Item 16 (Council File 21-1224): Transportation and Budget and Finance Committees report adopting the updated LADOT Automated License Plate Recognition Use Policy along with the transit-lane resolution and a one-year report back on citations, payment compliance and revenue. Adopted 13 to 1; Lee voted no; Hernandez absent.
Item 20 (Council File 26-1394): the Board of Police Commissioners' Memorandum of Understanding with Axon Enterprise, Inc. for the Lightpost test pilot. The Council had asserted jurisdiction on October 6 (Charter Section 245) over the Commission's September 22 action. Continued to October 27, the last day for Council action.

City Council journal, October 21, 2026: https://lacity.primegov.com/Public/CompiledDocument?meetingTemplateId=156215&compileOutputType=1
2026-10-21 - City Council (video and transcript)
2026-10-21 - City Council (Council agenda; the Council File number is not stated in the audio and should be added from the agenda)

About 11 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

Meeting	Minutes
2026-10-21 - City Council	11

Journal: LADOT use policy adopted 13-1 (Lee opposed) within the bus lane enforcement report; Axon item continued to October 27 (10-0).

2026-10-21 - City Council - LADOT policy adopted 13-1 after Lee and Rodriguez questioned its contractor-access provisions; the LAPD Axon item was continued to October 27; many commenters opposed license plate readers.