Police Ordered to Conceal Use of License Plate Readers from Drivers and Reports

An Iowa sheriff’s department has adopted a policy instructing deputies to hide the use of automated license-plate readers (ALPRs) from drivers and even omit them from official reports. The Wapello County Sheriff’s Office policy, obtained by 404 Media, explicitly states: “DO NOT MENTION ALPR USAGE TO THE OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE” and “DO NOT MENTION ALPR USAGE IN YOUR REPORT OR COMPLAINT UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.” Under the policy, deputies are told to describe ALPR-generated leads as “county resources” when explaining how a vehicle was located. The county, which includes the city of Ottumwa, operates just four Flock Safety ALPR cameras under a contract signed in late 2024. Sheriff Don Phillips defended the approach, arguing that deputies verify plate data against police databases—such as warrants, stolen-vehicle reports, or missing-person records—before taking action. He claimed this protects investigative methods from being exposed to criminals who might evade detection. However, critics argue the policy deliberately obscures the role of ALPRs, which can misread plates and whose data can reveal sensitive details about a driver’s movements. Flock Safety markets its ALPR system with promises of auditing, governance, and transparency tools, but the Wapello County policy shows how little those safeguards matter when agencies choose secrecy over disclosure.