Spokane County sheriff disables nearly 100 Flock ALPR cameras citing new Washington privacy law

First reported: April 3, 2026 · 1 source

Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels has temporarily switched off the county's automated license plate reader network — nearly 100 Flock cameras — saying his office cannot be confident of complying with a newly enacted Washington state law regulating ALPR use. Nowels said the law bars searches against the FBI's National Crime Information Center database and limits where cameras may be placed, including near schools, churches, courts and food banks, and he described the term 'vicinity' as undefined. The sheriff's office is consulting its legal team and has given no timeline for restoring the system; some cameras may stay off permanently. Airway Heights police also disabled their cameras, while Liberty Lake police said theirs remain running as they seek legal advice.

Why this matters

The shutdown is an early test of how Washington's new ALPR statute is interpreted on the ground, and shows how agencies in the same region can reach different compliance conclusions from identical language.

Key facts

Nearly 100 ALPR cameras operated by the Spokane County Sheriff's Office were temporarily disabled.
The sheriff's office says the cameras contributed to 521 arrests and the recovery of 268 stolen vehicles between 2023 and 2026.
Nowels said the new law prohibits running ALPR searches against NCIC and restricts placement near schools, churches, courts and food banks.
No timeline has been set for reactivation, and the sheriff said some cameras may be permanently shut off.
Airway Heights PD also disabled its cameras; Liberty Lake PD's remain operational while it consults attorneys.

Sources

This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.

Spokane County disables license plate readers over new privacy law concerns | News (KXLY.com, April 3, 2026)

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BlockFlockNow documents reported incidents involving Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers: council votes, contract decisions, misuse by authorized users, lawsuits, audits, and community response. Every record is reviewed by a person before publication. New to the topic? Start with What is Flock?, find meetings near you, or learn how to request your town's camera records.

Updated August 10, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.