Source: https://www.sweetwaternow.com/green-river-council-shoots-down-license-plate-readers/
Publisher: SweetwaterNOW (James Riter)
Date Published: July 8, 2026
Relevant To: Public comment strategy precedent; ALPR grant funding structure; undisclosed AI vehicle-search capabilities
Verification Status: Verified
Notes: Confirmed via full-text fetch. Green River, WY City Council voted 6-1 (Council Member Garry Killpack the lone dissent) to reject a $111,956 Wyoming Office of Homeland Security grant that would have funded Motorola (not Flock) automated license plate readers, following unanimous public opposition — all 10 public commenters spoke against it. Police Chief Shaun Sturlaugson said the department planned reactive-only use (not proactive enforcement), 4 cameras at town ends, data retained under 30 days per a policy still being finalized, and access limited to police/records staff — though he acknowledged Motorola itself would also have access to its own collected data and that the department could not control Motorola’s use of it. Notable public comment content directly reusable for BPA advocacy: one resident cited that under 1% of ALPR scans connect to any crime/wrongdoing; another flagged that Motorola’s own website advertises AI-powered vehicle search using make/model/color/accessories/damage/bumper stickers — going well beyond simple plate-reading, and argued residents deserve full capability disclosure before deployment. Two council members (Maser, Bushman) admitted they hadn’t fully understood the grant’s scope when initially voting to pursue it. Excellent comparative precedent for BPA — both for the successful public-comment-driven rejection outcome and for the specific “grants only cover initial buying, taxpayers are on the hook for ongoing costs” and “undisclosed AI capabilities beyond plate-reading” arguments raised by residents.