Westminster Council Votes to End License Plate Cameras

The city will remove all police-operated automated license plate readers from intersections and vehicles.

Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in City Hall

Isometric editorial illustration of an urban traffic signal pole with an empty mounting bracket against a solid background. — Westminster City Council members voted unanimously to remove all automated license plate reader cameras from the city's intersections and police vehicles. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Westminster City Council members voted unanimously to terminate the use of automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras across the city. The resolution mandates the removal of all police-owned or leased equipment from 13 intersections and one mobile unit.

Why it matters

Officials cited privacy concerns and the potential for misuse as the primary drivers behind the decision to end the program. The mayor pointed to similar program cancellations in other cities as a key motivation for the move.

The city currently operates 13 intersection cameras, seven of which are provided by the manufacturer Flock, alongside one mobile unit on an undercover vehicle. This decision ends 16 years of technology use, though the exact transition timeline is pending.

The players

Westminster City Council

The local legislative body responsible for city governance, policy oversight, and the management of municipal departments.

Flock

A public safety technology company that provides license plate recognition hardware and software services to law enforcement agencies.

The details

The resolution requires the city manager and city attorney to work together to cancel all third-party vendor contracts. The police department is now directed to finalize the removal of all license plate reader equipment from city intersections and vehicles.

October 26, 2026: The Westminster City Council voted unanimously to terminate the use of the camera systems.

Political Context

Westminster’s decision aligns with a broader national trend where over 200 cities and counties have moved to cancel ALPR devices amid growing scrutiny. The shift reflects ongoing legislative pushback against law enforcement surveillance tools that critics argue infringe on privacy.

Residents can expect the removal of existing camera hardware from identified city intersections over the coming period. This regulation shifts police surveillance operations and removes the automated tracking of vehicle plates that has occurred in Westminster for 16 years.

The takeaway

The end of this program signals a significant pivot in how local authorities handle digital surveillance and public privacy expectations. Residents should be aware that police monitoring protocols are changing as the city moves away from this long-standing technology usage.