Renton police chief responds to council decision on Flock cameras

Published 9:39 am Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Renton’s police chief publicly responded to the city council’s decision to shut down automated license plate readers.

At its May 4 meeting, the Renton City Council voted to pause the police department’s use of the ALPR cameras, also referred to by the brand name Flock, until the council members could “get more information to address the concerns of the public” on the technology. The Renton Police Department did as the council requested, but Chief Jon Schuldt later said in a press release he did not agree with the reasoning behind suspending the program.

“The ALPR system has proven to be an extremely valuable investigative tool that assists law enforcement in solving serious crimes, such as recovering a family’s stolen vehicle, locating suspects, and identifying vehicles connected to violent criminal activity,” Schuldt said. “These cameras are designed to provide investigators with objective leads in criminal investigations; they are not tools for mass surveillance or monitoring the daily lives of our residents.”

The Washington State Legislature recently passed Senate Bill (SB) 6002 to place restrictions and safeguards governing law enforcement’s use of ALPR technology. Schuldt said this was done after evaluating the performance, seeing unintended consequences, listening to community concerns, and understanding the importance of this investigative tool.

“Those laws established clear limitations on how this technology may be used, how it can be shared, how long data may be retained, and prohibited uses involving protected activities and sensitive locations,” Schuldt said. “The law also dictates criminal penalties for those who violate it. We support those safeguards and have worked to ensure our policies and practices align with those legal requirements.”

Schuldt said the technology is not intended to be used as a “broad surveillance system.” He said the ALPR system does not identify drivers or passengers, does not have facial recognition and does not track individuals. The data is only collected from vehicles traveling in the public right-of-way.

“The system doesn’t identify who is behind the wheel. It only knows whether a vehicle is involved in an Amber Alert or has been entered as having been involved in a felony or gross misdemeanor,” Schuldt said. “If there is no crime, the data is deleted after 21 days.”

The information stored in the police records is not available to out-of-state or federal agencies, and it cannot be used for immigration purposes, Schuldt said. Other Washington state agencies that have a similar ALPR system will have access to the network, but must have a justifiable felony or gross misdemeanor investigation, an identifying source, and access under their own credentials. State agencies without an ALPR system must submit a written request and be approved by a supervisor to search the Renton network.

“Our responsibility as a police department is to use lawful, effective tools that help keep our community safe while respecting constitutional rights and individual privacy,” Schuldt said. “We believe this program, with state laws governing its use, and an objective policy in place, achieves that balance.”

Chief Schuldt encourages the public to share their perspective on this technology with the elected officials by emailing council@rentonwa.gov.

“I recognize and respect that members of our community hold differing opinions about the use of this technology, and those concerns deserve to be heard and discussed openly. We remain committed to transparency, accountability, and continued engagement with our residents and elected officials throughout these conversations,” Schuldt said.

In Renton, Flock cameras are only allowed on state highways, and data from the system can only be accessed for serious crimes such as violent crimes, felonies, or gross misdemeanors.

The cameras were previously turned off on March 13 to allow the police department to comply with the new state law in SB 6002. The cameras were then turned back on April 22.

“I will continue to advocate for the responsible use of this tool because it makes our department more effective and efficient in providing services, solving crimes, enhancing safety for the Renton community, and bringing justice for victims,” Schuldt said. “Public safety should never be compromised and remains our highest priority, and we will continue working every day to protect the people of Renton with professionalism, integrity, and respect.”