Two automated plate readers are coming down from St. Paul streets. City leaders traced the move to a data path that put license plate readings within reach of federal immigration agents during last winter’s Operation Metro Surge.
Mayor Kaohly Her and Police Chief Axel Henry confirmed the pullback Wednesday evening. A council resolution passed without dissent the same afternoon had already called for Flock agreements in the city and the county to be set aside, capping a long public argument over surveillance technology.
Only the municipality’s readers are affected. Sheriff Bob Fletcher, a defender of the cameras who credits them with cracking major cases, keeps roughly a dozen inside St. Paul’s borders, part of 35 countywide.
The chain that triggered the backlash moved plate readings from local cameras through Minnesota’s partner-agency network, where federal agents could reach them during the immigration push. Her and Henry said they share residents’ concerns about outside agencies touching the data and had gathered Ramsey County law enforcement partners the week before to discuss safeguards.
The two also asked the Minnesota legislature for statewide rules that balance privacy with public safety needs. The episode gives other cities a working example of what can happen when plate reader data crosses agency lines, weeks after Flock itself tightened its platform in response to abuse reports.
