What happens when a local police chief and the state attorney general disagree over the interpretation of a state law?

That’s exactly what’s happening now in El Cajon regarding the police department’s automated license plate reader (ALPR) surveillance system and one of California’s immigrant sanctuary laws, .

At the center of this legal disagreement is the definition of “public agency.”

The use of ALPR systems, which capture the license plates of countless cars in public places, is controversial. SB 34 prohibits police departments from sharing ALPR data, “except to another public agency, and only as otherwise permitted by law.”

In a , Attorney General Rob Bonta said the law defines “public agency” as law enforcement agencies within the state of California. He specifically said ALPR dat

See Full Page