The Modesto Police Department says its automated license plate reader system was improperly connected to multiple federal agencies, despite a California law restricting how that data can be shared.
The department disclosed the issue in a public statement, saying it discovered the connections while preparing a response to a Public Records Act request. Officials said the connections have since been disabled.
Under California Senate Bill 34, which took effect in 2016, law enforcement agencies may share automated license plate reader data with other California public agencies but not with federal or out-of-state agencies…