Report 2019-118 Recommendation 1 Responses

Report 2019-118: Automated License Plate Readers: To Better Protect Individuals' Privacy, Law Enforcement Must Increase Its Safeguards for the Data It Collects (Release Date: February 2020)

Recommendation #1 To: Fresno Police Department

To ensure that its ALPR policy contains all of the required elements as specified in state law, by August 2020, Fresno should review its policy and draft or revise it as necessary. Also by August 2020, Fresno should post its revised policy on its website in accordance with state law.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2021

Policy 453 Automated License Plate Readers (06-20-21) was developed in May 2020 and staffed through the City Attorney's Office and our agency for review. Policy 453 dated 05-11-21 was signed by the Chief and adopted with an effective date of May 11, 2021. This incorporated the changes requested as a result of the audit. The Fresno Police Department Policy is available online at https://www.fresno.gov/police/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2020/08/PolicyManual-Redacted-09022021_Redacted.pdf

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented

1-Year Agency Response

The Fresno Police Department did not provide a one-year response to this recommendation.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Pending

6-Month Agency Response

The Fresno Police Department has completed review of policy and procedure 453. The policy has been updated to meet the requirements of state law as described in the audit. All Fresno Police Department policies and procedures are currently posted to the City of Fresno internet site as required by SB 978. http://fresno.gov/police/records-reports. We are in the process of revising our department policy manual in total and will be posting the updated version, to include ALPR Policy 453, by the end of this year.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Partially Implemented

60-Day Agency Response

The Fresno Police Department has every intention on complying with the audit recommendations; however, this crisis has delayed us. Prior to COVID-19, we had already restructured our sharing MOU and were in the process of working on some of the other items due in April; however, this pandemic has caused us to shift our resources.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

We acknowledge the difficulty of the current situation with COVID-19. We look forward to the department's future status reports.

All Recommendations in 2019-118

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.