Especially if you’ve taken the time to file a public information request to learn about the license plate reader tech is used in your area, or review how your area’s ALPRs are used, certain information you’ve found can be especially persuasive to different elected officials and other decision makers. Some tips on how to tailor your approach are below, with a sample report linked at the end.

City Council and County Commissioners

Focus: Local accountability, budgeting, and public trust.

Suggested Information:

• Cost analysis of the surveillance technology versus public benefit.

• Data privacy concerns relevant to community trust, like percentage of searches missing license plates or clear reasons for the search.

• Local neighborhood-level impacts, showing distribution of the cameras in different streets and neighborhoods.

• Community feedback or survey results reflecting public opinion. Individual stories from neighbors can also make a big impact.

• Comparisons with other cities or counties that have made policy changes around ALPR, or made privacy-preserving changes to their Flock contract.

Why:
Council and commissioners make policy and budget decisions; focus on actionable, local impact information and community sentiment.

Sheriff’s Office or Police Department

Focus: Operational efficiency, transparency, public safety implications.

Suggested Information:

• Percentage of searches missing license plate information (indicating potential inefficiency or misuse).

• Patterns or unusual spikes in surveillance data usage, or by certain users.

• Clear, concise examples of records with sensitive terms or issues, such as civil rights concerns.

• Legal compliance metrics, such as how well their practices align with existing laws or regulations.

• Comparisons with other cities or counties that have made policy changes around ALPR, or made privacy-preserving changes to their Flock contract.

Why:
Law enforcement officials are sensitive to operational effectiveness, liability risks, and public trust. Highlighting concrete examples and practical improvements helps them understand and act on the findings.

State Legislators

Focus: Broader policy implications, civil rights issues, state-wide patterns, and potential for legislative solutions.

Suggested Information:

• Clear summaries of civil rights implications (e.g., data privacy or risks to vulnerable groups).

• Comparative examples from other towns or counties (how does your area compare to state or national trends).

• Policy-oriented metrics, like the absence of clear rules around data retention or oversight gaps.

• Specific case examples (redacted for privacy) illustrating concerns or problematic uses.

• Recommendations for state-level legislation or oversight to address systemic concerns.

Why:
Legislators typically focus on systemic and policy-level solutions, so frame your findings in terms of statewide relevance and opportunities for legislative action.

State Attorney General

Focus: Legal compliance, civil liberties protections, investigation of potential violations, and enforcement of state privacy laws.

Suggested Information:

• Clear summaries of civil rights implications (e.g., data privacy or risks to vulnerable groups).

• Comparative examples from other towns or counties (how does your area compare to state or national trends).

• Policy-oriented metrics, like the absence of clear rules around data retention or oversight gaps.

• Specific case examples (redacted for privacy) illustrating concerns or problematic uses.

• Recommendations for state-level legislation or oversight to address systemic concerns.

Why: The Attorney General’s role is to enforce state laws, investigate abuses, and protect civil liberties, so frame your findings around clear legal violations and actionable enforcement steps.

General Tips for All Audiences:

• Visual aids (simple pie charts, bar graphs, heat maps) dramatically improve understanding.

• Plain language explanations with minimal technical jargon.

• Concrete examples and concise summaries make findings actionable.

• Specific recommendations tied directly to the data findings, suggesting practical next steps.

Tailoring your data carefully to each audience can really help clarity, and ensure your feedback is taken in good faith. Check out this example of a report summarizing 6 months of Flock search data, generated by a concerned resident for their county Sheriff’s Office.