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Policy 436Santa Ana Police Department Santa Ana PD Policy Manual Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2026/01/05, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by Santa Ana Police DepartmentAutomated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) - 1Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) 436.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance for the capture, storage and use of digital data obtained through the use of Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology. 436.2 POLICY The policy of the Santa Ana Police Department is to utilize ALPR technology to capture and store digital license plate data and images while recognizing the established privacy rights of the public. All data and images gathered by the ALPR are for official use by the Department. Because such data may contain confidential information, it is not considered a "public record" and is not open to public review or disclosure under the Public Records Act. 436.3 ADMINISTRATION ALPR technology, also known as License Plate Recognition (LPR), allows for the automated detection of license plates. It is used by the Santa Ana Police Department to convert data associated with vehicle license plates for official law enforcement purposes, including identifying stolen or wanted vehicles, stolen license plates and/or missing persons. It may also be used to gather information related to active warrants, homeland security, electronic surveillance, suspect interdiction and stolen property recovery. All installation and maintenance of ALPR equipment, as well as ALPR data retention and access, shall be managed by the Investigations Bureau Commander. The Investigations Bureau Commander will assign members under their command to administer the day-to-day operation of ALPR equipment and data. 436.3.1 ALPR ADMINISTRATOR The Investigations Bureau Commander shall be responsible for developing guidelines and procedures to comply with the requirements of Civil Code § 1798.90.5 et seq. This includes, but is not limited to (Civil Code § 1798.90.51; Civil Code § 1798.90.53): (a)A description of the job title or other designation of the members and independent contractors who are authorized to use or access the ALPR system or to collect ALPR information. (b)Training requirements for authorized users. (c)A description of how the ALPR system will be monitored to ensure the security of the information and compliance with applicable privacy laws. (d)Procedures for system operators to maintain records of access in compliance with Civil Code § 1798.90.52. (e)The title and name of the current designee in overseeing the ALPR operation. Santa Ana Police Department Santa Ana PD Policy Manual Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2026/01/05, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by Santa Ana Police DepartmentAutomated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) - 2(f)Working with the Custodian of Records on the retention and destruction of ALPR data. (g)Ensuring this policy and related procedures are conspicuously posted on the department's website. 436.4 OPERATIONS Use of an ALPR is restricted to the purposes outlined below. Department members shall not use, or allow others to use the equipment or database records for any unauthorized purpose (Civil Code § 1798.90.51; Civil Code § 1798.90.53). (a)An ALPR shall only be used for official law enforcement business. (b)An ALPR may be used in conjunction with any routine patrol operation or criminal investigation. Reasonable suspicion or probable cause is not required before using an ALPR. (c)While an ALPR may be used to canvass license plates around any crime scene, particular consideration should be given to using ALPR-equipped cars and authorized mobile applications to canvass areas around homicides, shootings and other major incidents. Partial license plates reported during major crimes should be entered into the ALPR system in an attempt to identify suspect vehicles. (d)No member of this department shall operate ALPR equipment or access ALPR data without first completing department-approved training. (e)No ALPR operator may access department, state or federal data unless otherwise authorized to do so. (f)If practicable, the officer should verify an ALPR response through the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS) before taking enforcement action that is based solely on an ALPR alert. 436.5 PROHIBITED USE (a)Except when done pursuant to a court order such as a search warrant, ALPR shall not be used to invade the privacy of individuals or record license plates not in public view, nor shall ALPR be used to harass, intimidate, or discriminate against any individual or group. (b)Unauthorized access, possession, or release of data is a violation of policy and various federal and state criminal statutes. Any employee who accesses, possesses, or releases data from the ALPR database without authorization or in violation of this policy may face discipline up to and including termination, criminal prosecution, and/ or civil liability. (c)The Santa Ana Police Department does not permit the sharing of ALPR data for the purpose of federal immigration enforcement, pursuant to the California Values Act (Government Code § 7282.5; Government Code § 7284.2 et seq). (d)The Santa Ana Police Department will also consider the California Reproductive Privacy Act (Health and Safety Code § 123460 - § 123469) before approving the sharing of ALPR data for the purpose of investigating any person seeking to exercise their reproductive health care rights within California. The Santa Ana Police Santa Ana Police Department Santa