Lompoc’s police chief says two new technology tools enhance law enforcement operations, but some in the city question whether the deployment of cameras to capture images of license plates has crossed the privacy line.

Chief Kevin Martin of the Lompoc Police Department recently provided an update on the agency’s Drone as a First Responder and Automated License Plate Reader programs.

However, it was the license plate readers that raised the most concern among residents and council members.

The council decided to bring the item back to a future meeting to get answers to questions, including from representatives of the camera contractor, Flock Safety.

Lompoc has 10 ALPR cameras mostly positioned near the city’s entrances and exits, but it also has access to 38 cameras set up at properties of the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara as well as some private businesses.

The cameras take still photos noting details, including the location of a vehicle.

“I think that we’ve taken a responsible approach to this. We haven’t overwhelmed the city with hundreds of cameras,” Martin said. 

Critics of ALPR have raised privacy concerns, such as who can access the data after reports of misuse by other law enforcement agencies, including at the federal level. 

Martin said the city has adopted policies that restrict who can get the ALPR information, and contends no one has shown that the Lompoc data has been misused.

“It is my recommendation to the council that we keep the cameras that we are currently paying for at points of entry and exit because it does help in criminal investigations,” Martin said. 

Councilman Jeremy Ball said he had hesitations and reservations about the ALPR use. 

“I want us to figure out a way to thread the needle where the community feels a little more confident about the police in terms of how it takes care of issues and crime in the community. I know this is an amazing tool,” Ball said. 

“I understand the tool, and I appreciate the tool,” Mayor Jim Mosby said. “The concern I have again, like I said, is the systematic surveillance of innocent people, and I think that’s what the public’s worried about.”

Martin said the ALPR data served as a focused investigative tool for those linked to crime, missing person and public safety matters. The cameras capture vehicles and license plates, but not drivers.

They’ve been valuable in leading to solved crimes, he added. 

To demonstrate the system, Martin tried to locate his own unmarked vehicle, but the system didn’t allow access since it wasn’t related to an investigation. 

Multiple residents spoke out against the use of ALPR camera systems.

“Police departments existed a long time before Flock, and they solved crimes then, too. Columbo didn’t use a Flock camera, and he did pretty good,” one woman said, adding that the transparency dashboard is on the Flock website, with a link from the city’s webpage.

The police chief also demonstrated the department’s Drone as a First Responder program, which involves deploying a camera-equipped automated small unmanned aircraft to scenes and often getting above before a patrol officer arrives.  

A portal linked from city’s website to a page on the Aerodome website spells out details of the unmanned aerial vehicles, including showing the flight paths taken for various responses.

“I think that for our community, this is a game-changer, and it’s going to make us as a police department to better serve our community,” the police chief said.

Flock Safety, which is based in Georgia, acquired Aerodome in late 2024, putting the license plate reader and drone responder programs under the same firm.

Links to dashboards for the Lompoc Police Department’s Automated License Plate Reader program can be found here, while the Drone at a First Responder program is available here. The Police Department’s website also includes logos that link to the transparency portals.