460 - Automated License Plate Readers - License Plate Recognition System.pdf

City of Buckeye — Council Workshop (2026-02-17)

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Policy Buckeye Police Department
460 Policy Manual
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Issued Date: 01/26/2015 Automated License Plate Reader
Revised Date: 06/13/2024 License Plate Recognition System
AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS (ALPR)

460.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE

Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology, also known as License Plate Recognition, provides
automated detection of license plates. ALPRs are used by the Buckeye 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 missing persons. ALPRs may also be used to gather
information related to active warrants, homeland security, electronic surveillance, suspect interdiction and
stolen property recovery.

460.2 POLICY

It is the policy of the Buckeye Police Department to utilize any and all forms of technology that provide a
direct benefit to the mission and goals of the organization. Automated License Plate Readers are
authorized for use by trained members of the Department to canvas license plates around a crime scene
or other major incidents based upon operational need.

460.3 ADMINISTRATION OF ALPR DATA

All installation and maintenance of ALPR equipment, as well as ALPR data retention and access, shall be
managed by the ALPR Administrator. The ALPR Administrator will assign personnel under his/her
command to administer the day-to-day operation of the ALPR equipment and data.

460.4 ALPR OPERATION

I.
Use of an ALPR is restricted to the purposes outlined below. Department personnel shall not use, or
allow others to use, the equipment or database records for any unauthorized purpose.

A. An ALPR shall only be used for official and legitimate law enforcement business.

B. No member shall operate ALPR equipment or access ALPR data without first completing
Department-approved training.

C. Patrol officers and Communications personnel shall log in to the ALPR system at the start of their
shift.

D. An ALPR may be used in conjunction with any patrol operation or criminal investigation.
Reasonable suspicion or probable cause is not necessary before using an ALPR.

E. Partial license plates reported during major crimes should be entered into the ALPR system in an
attempt to identify suspect vehicles.

F. If practicable, the officer should verify an ALPR response through the Arizona Law Enforcement
Telecommunication System (ALETS) before taking enforcement action that is based solely upon
an ALPR alert.

G. When the Buckeye Communications Center receives an ALPR alert for a stolen vehicle, stolen
license plate, felony vehicle, and/or missing persons, the dispatcher will enter an ATL priority 2
call for service and verbalize all of the information via radio communication.

H. Once ALPR hit information is voiced by the Dispatcher, and a call for service created, the nearest
available officer should acknowledge and respond to the call. If, due to call volume or staffing, a

Policy Buckeye Police Department
460 Policy Manual
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I.
When there is an ALPR alert for a stolen vehicle, stolen license plate, felony vehicle, and/or
missing persons that is incorrectly displayed and/or is not a match, Communications will refrain
from voicing the information and will create a CAD/LPR call.

J. No ALPR operator may access ALETS or National Law Enforcement Telecommunications
System (NLETS) data unless authorized to do so.

460.5 ALPR DATA COLLECTION AND RETENTION

I.
All data and images gathered by ALPR are for the official use of the Buckeye Police Department.
Because such data may contain confidential ALETS information, it is not open to public review. ALPR
information gathered and retained by this Department may be used and shared with prosecutors or
others only as permitted by law.

II. All data and images gathered by ALPR are retained for 30 days, after which it is purged and no
longer available for use.

III. The ALPR Administrator is responsible for ensuring proper collection and retention of ALPR data and
for transferring ALPR data stored in Department vehicles to the Department server on a regular basis,
not to exceed 30 days between transfers.

IV. All ALPR data downloaded by the Buckeye Police Department will be stored for the minimum period
established by the Department Records Retention Schedule and thereafter may be purged unless it
has become, or it is reasonable to believe it will become, evidence in a criminal or civil action or is
subject to a lawful action to produce records. In those circumstances, the applicable data shall be
downloaded from the server onto portable media and booked into evidence. Data downloaded is
subject to public records laws.

460.6 ACCOUNTABILITY AND SAFEGUARDS

I.
All saved data will be closely safeguarded and protected by both procedural and technological
means. The Buckeye Police Department will observe the following safeguards regarding access to
and use of stored data:

A. All non-law enforcement requests for access to stored ALPR data shall be referred to the Support
Services Lieutenant and processed in accordance with applicable law. For any confidential data,
a stated purpose for access must be provided.

B. All ALPR data downloaded to the mobile workstation and server shall be accessible only through
the login/password-protected system that is capable of documenting all access information by
name, date and time.

C. Employees approved to access ALPR data under these guidelines are permitted to access the
data for legitimate law enforcement purposes only, such as when the data relate to a specific
criminal investigation or Department-related civil or administrative action.

D. Such ALPR data may be released to other authorized and verified law enforcement officials and
agencies at any time for legitimate law enforcement purposes.

E. ALPR Administrator shall conduct an annual system audit.

Policy Buckeye Police Department
460 Policy Manual
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By Order of,

Robert Sanders
Chief of Police