Cybersecurity Policy Report, AG Blanche Endorses License Plate Readers, Blames ‘Misinformation’ for Opposition, (Nov 9, 2026)
Attorney General Todd Blanche on Friday endorsed the use of automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) by police departments to find perpetrators of serious crimes.
“I very much support that technology, and I think that every city that has used it has seen its success over and over and over again,” AG Blanche said at news conference to announce an award of $73 million to Jacksonville, Florida, as part of the Department of Justice’s Model Cities Initiative.
Jacksonville is free to use its DoJ law enforcement funding to deploy ALPRs provided by Flock Safety or other vendors, he indicated. “Misinformation” has caused Flock to become a target for privacy and civil liberties advocates, he said.
“I'm not suggesting that privacy doesn't matter—to the contrary. But what I am suggesting is that the technology around license plate readers does not affect the privacy of American citizens. It may someday and if the technology advances to where we need to take a look at it and figure out a way to address and draw it back, we should do that,” AG Blanche said.
“If you've ever been a victim of a crime, and somebody who committed the crime drove away, I promise you, you would love for any law enforcement officer to say, ‘You're in luck. We have a license plate reader, and we found that vehicle,’” he said.
Opponents of ALPR systems, however, have pointed to numerous examples of the systems being misused or leading to innocent people being charged with crimes, and fears about mass surveillance have fueled a bipartisan push to prevent cities and states from using federal funds for ALPRs.
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