Civil Grand Jury ALPR report response
At a glance
Based on auto-generated captions; names and details may be misheard.
- What: the city's formal response to a Civil Grand Jury report on automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras, approved on the consent calendar (item I3) on 10/13/2026. Related edit: the September 15 minutes (item I1) now record that activating ALPR technology under the Axon agreement needs council approval.
- Concerns raised: three speakers, including Hercher speaking as a private resident, said the item deserved a study session and urged the council to end the Flock contract, citing past data-sharing lapses with outside agencies.
- Next: Mayor Nash said she shares the concern and the contract expires in February; she expects the next council to take ALPRs up as a separate item and asked that private cameras be included in that discussion.
Sources
-
City Council special and regular meeting minutes, September 15, 2026: https://menlopark.gov/files/sharedassets/public/v/1/agendas-and-minutes/city-council/2026-meetings/minutes/20260915-city-council-special-and-regular-minutes-approved.pdf
-
City Council special and regular meeting minutes, August 25, 2026: https://menlopark.gov/files/sharedassets/public/v/1/agendas-and-minutes/city-council/2026-meetings/minutes/20260825-city-council-special-and-regular-minutes-approved.pdf
-
2026-10-13 - City Council (recording, 10/13/2026)
Discussion time
About 7 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).
| Meeting | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-13 - City Council | 7 |
Log
2026-10-13 - City Council
Response to the grand jury report approved with the consent calendar (unanimous); public comment urged ending the Flock contract; mayor said a separate discussion is likely with the next council before the February expiry.
2026-09-15 - City Council
Council approved a 10-year Axon agreement and required its approval before ALPR activation; see Axon Public Safety Platform Agreement. Herscher asked for an ALPR discussion.
2026-08-25 - City Council
Public comment asked the council to review the response to the Grand Jury report on ALPRs before submission and alongside the Flock renewal, and opposed renewing the Flock agreement (Will Oursler, Herscher, Jaeckel and others). No action.