Tempe weighs ordinance banning city use of license plate readers; police chief objects

Event: September 24, 2026 · First reported: September 26, 2026 · 1 source

A month after Tempe deactivated its Flock Safety license plate readers, a proposed ordinance introduced on Sept. 24, 2026 would bar city agencies from using automated license plate readers or entering, renewing or extending ALPR contracts. Councilmember Bobby Nichols said the measure was drafted with input from residents, subject matter experts and city staff. Police Chief Kenneth McCoy told the council the department opposes the ordinance as written, saying some open cases could have been resolved sooner with ALPR data. The ordinance is not final and is scheduled for a second reading and council vote on Thursday, Oct. 15.

Why this matters

Tempe would be among the first Arizona cities to move from pausing ALPR use to prohibiting it outright, and the ordinance's carve-outs for warrant-obtained data and parking management offer a template other councils may examine.

Key facts

Ordinance introduced Sept. 24, 2026; second reading and vote set for Oct. 15, 2026.
Tempe had already shut off its Flock Safety cameras about a month earlier.
Exemptions would permit ALPR data obtained via search warrant, court order or subpoena, and limited parking-management uses not shared with private databases.
Chief Kenneth McCoy said the police department cannot support the ordinance as written.
Pinal County Sheriff Ross Teeple, testifying in Washington, D.C., said privacy concerns outweighed the benefits his agency found, and said he would back state-level guardrails; Casa Grande and Peoria police cited recent cases aided by ALPRs.

Sources

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

Tempe police chief opposes proposed ALPR ban (FOX 10 Phoenix, September 26, 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 September 28, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.