AIRWAY HEIGHTS, Wash. — Washington state lawmakers are moving to establish the first regulations governing automated license plate readers after reports surfaced that immigration agents have been accessing camera networks across the country.
Senate Bill 6002 aims to create rules for how law enforcement agencies can use data collected from Flock cameras and similar systems. The bipartisan legislation comes as these surveillance tools operate without state oversight despite widespread use by local agencies.
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office operates up to 100 of these cameras, while Airway Heights Police Department is among several agencies within the county using the technology. Currently, Washington has no laws regulating how agencies collect, store or share this data…