Greeley Police Department Strengthens Oversight of License Plate Reader Technology

GREELEY, Colo. — The Greeley Police Department has made important changes to its automated license plate reader (ALPR) program to better protect privacy and ensure accountability. The new changes include stopping the sharing of license plate data with out-of-state and national sources, reducing how long the data is kept, and adding monthly audits of how the technology is used.

The changes were made following a City Council work session on September 8, 2026, where the police department presented information on its ALPR program and drone operations. Following the meeting, department leaders focused on improving public trust, auditing processes, transparency, and data retention.

Greeley Police Chief Turk said, “These changes put clear limits on how license plate data is shared and stored, and they give us a regular way to check that every search is done for the right reason.” 

The changes include:

• Ending out-of-state and national data sharing: As of September 9, 2026, the department has stopped all sharing of license plate data with out-of-state and national sources.
• Shorter data retention: License plate data is now kept for 21 days instead of 30 days. This change is noted on the department’s transparency webpage.  
• Monthly audits: The department will now review its use of ALPR technology every month. These audits will check search reasons and case numbers.
• Clearer search documentation: Before looking up a license plate in the Flock system, employees must enter a case or call number and choose a reason for the search. The number of reasons has been reduced from 43 to just six to make records more accurate and clear. Employees need to record the reason for the search at the time, even if a case number is assigned later.

State Funding Ends for Elsag Cameras

On September 4, 2026, the State of Colorado notified the City that it would discontinue funding for Elsag Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) cameras after 2026. This decision is due to reduced funding from the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority. As a result, the department will withdraw its two pickup-truck-mounted ALPR systems and two speed trailers.

The Greeley Police Department will terminate its contract with the Colorado State Patrol and collaborate with them to return or dispose of the equipment. However, the timeline for this transition has not yet been determined.

The Greeley Police Department is committed to using technology responsibly, safeguarding privacy, and ensuring appropriate oversight of systems that bolster public safety.

For more information about the department’s technology, policies, and transparency efforts, visit www.greeleypd.com.