Little Rock Board to Vote on Police Surveillance Oversight
A proposed ordinance would require monthly audits and public reporting on how police use surveillance technology.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Law Enforcement
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The Little Rock Board of Directors will vote on an ordinance increasing oversight of police surveillance technology, following the Little Rock Police Department's decision to relieve three officers of duty with pay over improper use of license plate reader technology. The vote is scheduled for Monday, November 9, 2026.
Why it matters
The proposal follows an audit that found one officer searched the same license plate through the Flock camera system 28 times over a 10-day period. For Little Rock residents, the ordinance would set formal limits on how police use surveillance tools and how that use is reviewed.
Three officers have been relieved of duty with pay pending the outcome of the department's findings on license plate reader misuse. The Board of Directors will vote on the proposed oversight ordinance, and the final disposition of the officers' cases has not been announced.
The players
Little Rock Police Department
The municipal police agency that operates the Flock license plate readers and facial recognition software and relieved the three officers of duty.
Antwan Phillips
Position 9 At-Large City Director in Little Rock who sponsored the proposed surveillance oversight ordinance and a similar ordinance last December.
The details
The ordinance, sponsored by Position 9 At-Large City Director Antwan Phillips, would require monthly audits to identify potential misuse of surveillance technology and an annual public surveillance report. It would also require public discussion for purchases over $50,000; the department uses Flock license plate readers and facial recognition software. Phillips introduced a separate transparency ordinance last December, which the board voted down.
Timeline
Last December: Phillips introduced a separate police surveillance transparency ordinance, which the board voted down.
About one month before November 3, 2026: LRPD relieved three officers of duty with pay over license plate reader misuse.
Monday, November 9, 2026: The Board of Directors will vote on the surveillance oversight ordinance.
Legal Context
The proposal follows Little Rock's December vote rejecting Phillips's earlier police surveillance transparency ordinance, which signals the board's prior resistance to such measures. The new version is advanced by a specific audit finding of officer misuse rather than general transparency concerns.
If approved, the ordinance would give Little Rock residents a regular public report on how police use surveillance tools and require public discussion before large purchases. Residents would also be able to see audit results that identify misuse of license plate reader data.
The takeaway
Public oversight of police surveillance tools depends on regular audits and reporting, and residents can follow the November 9 board vote to see whether those requirements take effect.
What happens next
The Board of Directors will vote on the surveillance oversight ordinance on Monday, November 9, 2026.
Further reading
For more on policing in the area, see Law Enforcement coverage for Little Rock.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KATV.
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Should Little Rock limit how police use license plate readers and facial recognition?
