ACLU

INTRODUCTION

In this writ proceeding we must determine whether the California Public Records Act (CPRA) exemption for law enforcement records of investigations (Gov. Code, § 6254, subd. (f))1 applies to records generated by a system of high-speed cameras that automatically scan and catalogue license plate images to aid law enforcement in locating vehicles associated with a suspected crime. We conclude the exemption applies. For more than a decade, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD), agencies of Real Parties in Interest the City and County of Los Angeles (collectively, Real Parties), have used Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology to automate a process that officers ordinarily perform manually—checking license plates to determine whether a vehicle is stolen or otherwise wanted in connection with a crime. Real Parties’ ALPR systems consist of specialized cameras mounted to patrol cars or stationary structures that scan license plates in their immediate vicinity and record the license plate number together with the time and location of the scan. At virtually the same time, the ALPR system checks every license plate number…