ALPR and Drone Information

• ALPR Policy – Fridley Police Department General Order 429, Automated License Plate Reader

• Drone Policy – Fridley Police Department General Order 328, Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Operation

ALPR Query Data

Query data shows any access made by law enforcement agencies to the City of Fridley's ALPR system. The City of Fridley receives frequent requests for ALPR query data through the public data request process. In the interest of transparency and to make this information more accessible, the City is making the public ALPR query data readily available.

Understanding the data:

• Each row of data represents a single search made by a law enforcement agency
• The "Total Networks Searched" column represents the number of ALPR camera systems that were included in each query. Fridley's ALPR system represents one of the total networks searched for each query
• The "Search Time" column represents when the search was initiated, and the "Time Frame" column represents the range of data reviewed in the search
• If the record contains ***, that information exists but is only visible to the searching agency. Reach out to the searching agency to discuss additional details if needed.

View the ALPR Query Data

Fridley Flock Safety Transparency Portal

The Fridley Flock Safety Transparency Portal provides public information about how Fridley PD uses Flock ALPR technology, including data retention practices and usage statistics.

View the portal

2024 ALPR Biennial Audit

Fridley Police completed its first ALPR biennial audit in November 2024, covering the period of October 2022 through October 2024. The audit was conducted independently by Code 4 Group and found the department to be in full compliance with state law. The Minnesota Department of Administration, Data Practices Office confirmed receipt and compliance on July 9, 2025. The next audit will cover October 2024 through October 2026. 

View the audit document(PDF, 854KB) 

• Fridley Police Division's Presentation on Flock and Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) Program: The City's presentation from the July 27 City Council Meeting. View the presentation(PDF, 821KB)

• Minnesota Statute 13.824: Automated License Plate Readers: The City of Fridley's use of ALPR cameras is in accordance with Minnesota State Statute 13.824.

• Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension  – Agencies Using License Plate Readers: A public list of all law enforcement agencies in Minnesota that use ALPR technology, maintained by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. View the agency list 

• Anoka County Sheriff's Office "Flock Safe County" Presentation: An overview of the county's ALPR and drone program, including how the technology works, safeguards in place and Anoka County success stories. View the presentation(PDF, 2MB)

• Flock Safety Privacy and Trust Resource Page: Flock Safety's public resource page with FAQs, privacy commitments, and information about data security. View the resource page 

Flock Safety stores ALPR data on its platform. The data is encrypted and firewalled. The City owns its data and Flock's contract governs how the data may be used. Fridley's ALPR cameras capture still images of the passing vehicles, including the license plate, the vehicle and the surrounding area. Minnesota law limits data collection to license plate numbers, date, time and location data, and pictures of license plates, vehicles and areas surrounding the vehicles. The system does not use facial recognition and does not capture driver or occupant identity.  

The City utilizes multiple mobile camera trailers that can provide live video to a command post or the Police Division. These trailers are highly visible and provide a deterrent effect, situational awareness, infrastructure protection and documentation of crimes. The data collected by the camera trailers is not part of the Flock network. It is maintained by the Police Division and is only shared with partner law enforcement agencies for active criminal investigations and with prior approval. You may see them at busy parks, at civic construction projects or at large community events like ‘49er Days. The City also relies on partnerships with many businesses and residences that have private security cameras, but that data does not belong to the City and is only provided voluntarily by the resident or business to assist with investigations.  

Many crimes are captured on audio or video, and we appreciate the partnerships that we have with people in our community who are willing to provide evidence during an investigation. When applicable, search warrants can be obtained to gain access to evidentiary data, but most people willingly provide the data to law enforcement to help solve crimes in their neighborhood or at their business.

The City acknowledges that the February 9 communication could have been more complete, but staff were only able to share the information that they had at that time. The City was not aware that immigration-related queries had taken place in the days, weeks and months before staff proactively limited the types of queries that were allowed. Some agencies were able to query data belonging to Fridley and thousands of other agencies for purposes that do not align with the mission, purpose and policies identified by Fridley Public Safety. 

Regarding the request for an investigation into whether immigration searches led to enforcement actions in Fridley: the City does not have jurisdiction to investigate what other agencies did with the data they accessed through the shared network, or whether any searches were connected to specific enforcement actions. The City is not aware of any enforcement actions that were taken as a result of Fridley’s data being queried. Additionally, there have not been any requests from external law enforcement agencies for additional information related to any of the immigration-related queries that were conducted. The City can confirm that since January 27 there is no record of any immigration-related search of Fridley's data, and since February 3 there is no record of any out-of-state agency accessing the City's network.

The camera near Friendly Chevrolet is privately-owned and operated by Friendly Chevrolet. The business participated in a grant assistance program to pay for the system in an effort to protect their inventory of new and used vehicles. While the City has received data from Friendly Chevrolet’s system to assist in criminal investigations, the camera is not part of the City's ALPR program and is not under the City's authority or control. Private businesses and property owners who operate Flock cameras own their data and manage their networks independently of the City. The City does not have the legal authority to require a private business to remove or disable its own security equipment. We understand that distinction does not make the camera feel less present or less concerning to nearby residents. We encourage residents to contact Friendly Chevrolet directly to express their concerns about how that camera is positioned and used, and if assistance identifying the right contact would be helpful, please reach out to the City and we will do what we can to help.

The City is required by state law to conduct an audit of its ALPR program every two years. In addition, the City has implemented further internal controls beyond what is required by state law. All personnel with access to ALPR technology receive training on how to use the system and what the consequences are for using the system in a manner that is inconsistent with policy or the law. All data queries by City personnel are logged and are assigned a unique query ID number. The log documents the name of the officer who conducted the query, the networks that were queried, the date and time of the query, the time frame that was queried and the vehicle that was queried. In addition to documenting the search criteria, officers must also enter a case number and reason for the query. The queries are regularly audited by system administrators to ensure that queries are being conducted in accordance with relevant laws and policies.

Due to the volume of searches, it is not possible to follow up on every search that is conducted within the search network. All users of the Flock system are required to adhere to Flock’s policies, their own agency’s policies, FBI/CJIS rules and all relevant federal, state and local laws. Recent events have highlighted the wide variety of specific areas of focus that some state, county and local law enforcement agencies have throughout the country. While the use of ALPR technology for immigration-related enforcement may be within the scope of other law enforcement agencies, it does not align with the priorities and policies of the Fridley Public Safety Department or the community we serve. Prior to realizing that Fridley’s data was being queried for immigration enforcement purposes, the City had already taken proactive steps to restrict access to the data.

The City’s internal controls are more stringent than what is required by state law, and the City has opted to restrict many search parameters that are allowed by state law. Personnel who have an identified need for access to the ALPR system receive training on how the system may be utilized, and their access level is consistent with their role within the organization. All activity within the ALPR platform is cataloged and associated with individual users, so each member of the organization is personally accountable for their ALPR activity. All personnel are required to adhere to relevant laws and policies governing ALPR, and misuse may result in discipline, civil sanctions and/or criminal charges. Throughout the City’s use of ALPR technology dating back approximately 17 years, there have been no documented instances of misuse by City personnel.

As required by law, an audit of the City’s ALPR program is conducted every two years. The biennial audit is conducted by a contracted external vendor that also conducts biennial audits of the City’s body-worn camera program. In addition to the state-mandated audits of the City’s ALPR program, the City conducts additional training and internal audits on an ongoing basis.

Fridley's ALPR program has been instrumental in solving a range of serious crimes and keeping residents safe. Recent examples include identifying and apprehending a suspect in a Highway 65 shooting in 2024, dismantling a nationwide robbery ring in 2025, recovering two children following a kidnapping, identifying a suspect in an aggravated assault case, seizing 200 pounds of methamphetamine in 2026, locating a missing and endangered juvenile in 2026, and identifying and arresting a domestic assault suspect in 2026.

The approximately 390,000 searches that reached Fridley's network in December 2025 reflect how the Flock shared network operates. When an agency queries the Flock system, a single search typically sweeps hundreds or thousands of networks simultaneously. A search reaching Fridley's network is rarely a search of Fridley data alone. Most of those searches were related to criminal investigations. However, some were labeled as immigration-related, which is inconsistent with Fridley's mission and policies. Director George's February 9 statement focused on what the City does and does not do with its own data and access. At that time, it was not known that some agencies in Minnesota and throughout the country had conducted searches related to immigration enforcement across networks that included Fridley’s data. The statement did not address what other agencies may have done through the shared network because the City had not been made aware of any enforcement action taken as a result of immigration-related queries of the City’s data. To this date, the City is still not aware of any immigration enforcement action that has been taken as a result of queries of our data.

The City will review its contract terms in response to concerns raised at the July 27 meeting, including this one. Once that review is complete, the City will be in a better position to speak specifically to what protections are in place and where gaps may exist. That information will be shared with the City Council as part of its deliberation on the program going forward.

The City is aware that the Flock contract is approaching a renewal decision point in 2027. A pilot program that includes ALPR and Drone Assisted First Responder is currently in the early phases of implementation throughout Anoka County. Decisions related to the City’s future relationship with Flock Safety are heavily dependent upon the overall success of the County’s pilot program. Should the County’s decision have a budget impact on the City, the City Council will deliberate on those decisions when more information becomes available. That deliberation will be transparent and will take place in a public forum. The City takes its financial obligations to residents seriously and will weigh all relevant factors, including contract terms, program value and community input, before any renewal decision is made.

The Anoka County Flock ALPR and drone pilot program has not been formally presented to the City. When the City receives a formal proposal, it will be reviewed and vetted by the city attorney and staff before any decision is made. The item would then be presented to the City Council at a regularly scheduled City Council meeting.

Public Safety Director Ryan George spoke directly with Blaine Police Chief Podany and Roseville Police Chief Scheider regarding these allegations. Both chiefs categorically deny them. The City of Fridley has found no legitimacy to these rumors and encourages residents to rely on verified information.

Blaine Police officers frequent the Friendly Chevrolet location on Fireside Drive because the dealership services many vehicles in the Blaine Police fleet. There is no other basis for their presence in the area.