Topline:
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted this week to increase oversight of information gathered by automated license plate readers operated by the Sheriff’s Department.
Why now: The move came amid growing concerns the information could be shared with federal immigration agents. The supervisors voted on the item during their regular meeting Tuesday.
The technology: Automated license plate readers, which are mounted on police cars and on fixed locations like light poles, collect license plate numbers on vehicles. Law enforcement agencies use the information to help find crime suspects and stolen cars.
California law: While state law already bans local law enforcement, including city police departments and county sheriff’s offices, from cooperating with federal agents, a report by CalMatters found some agencies had shared license plate data on occasion, including the Los Angeles Police Department…