Documented Incident
Tempe council votes 6-1 to ban city use of automated license plate readers
Event: October 15, 2025 · First reported: October 16, 2026 · 8 sources
The Tempe City Council voted 6-1 on Oct. 15 to adopt an ordinance barring the city's use of automated license plate reader technology, described in local reporting as the first such ban by an Arizona city. Revised language allows Tempe police to continue working with outside agencies that use the technology in their own jurisdictions. Vice Mayor Arlene Chin cast the lone dissenting vote, saying the wholesale ban was shortsighted and pointing to cases such as hit-and-run arrests and recovered stolen vehicles.
Tempe's ordinance offers other cities a template for restricting ALPR use locally while preserving interagency cooperation, and it shows how council language can shift to address police department objections.
Key facts
- The Tempe Council approved the ordinance 6-1 at its Oct. 15 meeting, with Vice Mayor Arlene Chin dissenting.
- Councilmember Bobby Nichols, who advocated for the measure for nearly a year, including as a private citizen before taking office, sponsored the ordinance.
- Tempe Police Chief Ken McCoy said the department would not support a ban or prohibition on the technology.
- The city said it found no evidence of misuse in its Flock data; officers in Surprise and Chandler have been accused of wrongdoing, allegations that have not been described as adjudicated.
- ACLU of Arizona policy advocate Katelynn Contreras urged approval, asserting that ALPR data has been misused by police nationally and in Arizona.
- Revised language permits Tempe police to work with other agencies that use ALPRs, which Mayor Corey Woods cited in shifting to support.
Timeline
- October 16, 2026Tempe becomes first city in Arizona to ban license plate reader technology
- October 16, 2026Tempe becomes first Arizona city to ban police use of automated license plate readers
- October 16, 2026Tempe City Council bans automatic license plate readers with some exceptions
- October 17, 2026Tempe Just Banned Flock Cameras for Good—and Ordered Their Data Destroyed
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Tempe becomes first city in Arizona to ban license plate reader technology (Your Valley, October 16, 2026)
- Tempe becomes first Arizona city to ban police use of automated license plate readers (ABC15 Arizona, October 16, 2026)
- Tempe becomes 1st Arizona city to enact strict ban on Automated License Plate Readers (KTAR News 92.3 FM, October 16, 2026)
- Tempe City Council bans automatic license plate readers with some exceptions (kjzz.org, October 16, 2026)
- Tempe becomes first city in Arizona to ban license plate reader technology (Your Valley, October 16, 2026)
- Tempe Just Banned Flock Cameras for Good—and Ordered Their Data Destroyed (MotorBiscuit, October 17, 2026)
- Tempe Just Banned Flock Cameras for Good—and Ordered Their Data Destroyed (Yahoo, October 17, 2026)
- Tempe Banned License Plate Readers. Its Lawyer Says Cops Can Still Get the Data as Long as They Don’t Say ‘ALPR’ (The Auto Wire, October 20, 2026)
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About this record
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 October 21, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.