Tempe moves to ban automatic license plate readers
Tempe plans to introduce an ordinance that would ban the city from using automatic license plate reader technology, with the measure set to go before the City Council on Sept. 24.
According to details described by Councilmember Bobby Nichols at a Sept. 9 community meeting, the proposal would bar Tempe from signing contracts with Flock Group or other companies offering similar systems, including Scottsdale-based Axon Enterprise. It would also stop city spending on the technology and prohibit law enforcement use except in limited exceptions.
The proposal comes as other cities across the Valley have paused or reconsidered similar surveillance systems amid reports of misuse and debate over spending public money on the tools. A final council vote in Tempe could happen Oct. 15.
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