LA Sheriff Department has hundreds of surveillance cameras. Officials say data isn't shared with ICE

Some Los Angeles County residents are worried about how surveillance data is being used and stored as the Sheriff’s Department tries to address fears about cooperation with civil immigration enforcement.

The department has 480 high-speed cameras that can be used to track vehicles and their activity around the region, according to officials.

The L.A. County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission held a virtual forum Wednesday focused on surveillance technologies in the county, specifically around the department's use of Automated License Plate Readers, otherwise known as ALPRs.

The public was invited to share their concerns about unchecked use of the technology and ask experts questions about how the data is collected and shared.

A vast majority of the attendees — 91% — reported that they or someone they know has changed behavior or plans due to concerns about ICE or immigration enforcement. Most attendees said their top concern was who the surveillance data is shared with, and about a third said they were most concerned with how the information is being used.

Hans Johnson, chair of the commission, said there is a sense of a new, chilling reality taking hold in immigrant communities.

“ The fear that everyday activities like traveling to work, taking children to school, seeking medical care or gathering in public spaces could expose people to tracking, data sharing and hunting that threatens their safety and constitutional freedoms,” Johnson said during the forum.

Sheriff officials said it’s difficult to engage with county communities if they believe the department is involved in civil immigration enforcement.

Ernest Bille, a department commander, said officials need to ease those fears so people feel comfortable connecting with local law enforcement, including for Amber Alerts or reporting a crime, so that the Sheriff’s Department can more effectively serve L.A. County.

Sheriff cameras in the county

The Sheriff’s Department only contracts with Motorola Vigilant for its Automated License Plate Readers, Bille said. The cameras can capture license plate numbers, dates, times and geographic locations, as well as images of the vehicle and license plate.

“ It is important to note that our current ALPR system does not capture any personal identifying information whatsoever, and it is stored in the database for authorized law enforcement use,” he said.

Of the 480 Motorola Vigilant cameras operated by the Sheriff’s Department around the county, 42 are mobile, meaning they’re attached to the top of a patrol car while roaming the region. The more than 430 others are fixed, powered and solar cameras.

Bille added that there may still be Flock cameras in L.A. County, specifically from cities that’ve contracted directly with the controversial surveillance company.

In South Pasadena, for example, the city council recently moved to not renew a contract with Flock Safety following public outcry after reports that some local law enforcement agencies in Southern California illegally shared license plate reader data with federal immigration agents.

Flock did install cameras in burn areas after last year’s Eaton Fire to deter crime and looting, especially in Altadena, Bille said. He added that L.A. County contracted with Flock and made the cameras available to the department, but they’re currently deactivated.

When asked, Bille said he didn’t know how long the cameras have been out of commission in those areas.

How are they used?

The data collected from the department’s cameras can be used in a number of ways, including criminal investigations and recovering stolen vehicles. According to officials, they’ve been used successfully to locate missing people and for life-saving efforts.

Bille said the data is mostly used as an investigatory lead, and it’s not standalone evidence. If an investigator wants to get a license plate from the system, for example, they would have to have a legitimate law enforcement purpose for doing so.

“ It cannot be used for personal or non-work-related purposes, and it absolutely cannot be used for civil immigration enforcement,” he said.

The data is stored for two years in most cases, which was revised down from the department’s five-year policy.

After two years, the records are archived. After five years, the data is permanently deleted.

But there are some exceptions, including ongoing investigations, prosecutions or legal proceedings like appeals.

How is the data shared?

The Sheriff’s Department doesn’t share data from Automated License Plate Readers with any federal agencies, officials said.

The data can only be shared with other public agencies under an inter-agency agreement that includes compliance with privacy protections and applicable laws.

“ We have no inter-agency agreement with any federal agencies,” Bille said. Officials later noted that federal agencies do not qualify as a public entity for this purpose under California law.

The data cannot be sold or used for commercial, personal and non-work related purposes. It cannot be shared for civil immigration enforcement unless required by law or under a judicial warrant, according to officials.

How to get involved

There are internal audits of the sheriff’s Automated License Plate Reader system at least once a year, according to the department.

Semi-annual reports of the system will also be provided to the Office of Inspector General, the Civilian Oversight Commission and the L.A. County Board of Supervisors. Another report will be published on the department’s public transparency page.

Dara Williams, chief deputy of the county’s Office of the Inspector General, said the department wants to engage with the people they serve and have residents feel comfortable coming forward to report crimes.

“ It’s important to them to be sure that their policies don't overly share with the federal government because the Sheriff's Department does not like the consequences of what oversharing with the federal government would bring to them,” Williams said.

The commission is encouraging the public to join its upcoming monthly meetings to share thoughts on department policies and procedures:

• 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 21
  
  • St. Anne's Conference Center, 155 N. Occidental Blvd., Los Angeles
    
    • Register for webinar here
    • Sign up for emailed agendas here