Seattle Public Safety clarifies ICE cannot access ALPR police data for immigration reasons

SEATTLE — Seattle Public Safety Committee Chair Bob Kettle said Monday he wants to “set the record straight” on what he called misconceptions about Seattle police technology used for crime prevention, including automated license plate readers, public-space surveillance cameras, and the city’s Real-Time Crime Center.

In a statement released ahead of Tuesday’s Public Safety Committee meeting, Kettle said he understands concerns raised by community members, particularly amid reports about federal immigration authorities accessing license plate reader systems that use Flock Safety.

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“I want to be clear on this first point: Seattle does not contract with Flock Safety, the vendor at the center of many reports of unauthorized access by federal immigration,” Kettle said.

Kettle also addressed a University of Washington Center for Human Rights report that he said focused specifically on Flock networks. He said the findings “should not be generally applied to Seattle since we do not contract with Flock.”

On automated license plate readers, Kettle said one misconception is that cameras will be placed in sensitive areas such as hospitals, courts, schools, or houses of worship. He said Seattle’s ALPR cameras are mounted on police vehicles rather than fixed posts.

“When patrol cars are on, ALPR is on – and cannot be turned off without turning off the in-car video system or the car itself,” Kettle said. He added that police may add cars when requested to sensitive locations, but said ALPR cameras are not placed specifically at those locations by the city.

Kettle also said another misconception is that ALPR data can be accessed by the federal government. He said Seattle police share data with federal agencies only in matters of criminal enforcement, and otherwise, a federal agency would need to subpoena the data.

“So far, there have been no subpoenas for Seattle’s ALPR data,” Kettle said. He added that public disclosure requests for ALPR information are subject to state records law.

Kettle also pushed back on criticism of Seattle’s Closed-Circuit Television public space cameras program and the Real-Time Crime Center, including claims that CCTV does not deter violent crime. He cited a 2019 study from CUNY and said the same report also stated that results of its review “based on 40 years of evaluation research – lend support for the continued use of CCTV to prevent crime as well as reveal a greater understanding of some of the key mechanisms of effective use.”

Kettle said Seattle’s CCTV pilot project will be evaluated by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Crime and Justice Police Lab over the next two years, including measuring the reduction in violent crime. He said CCTV footage can help investigations and prosecutions of violent and property crimes, and that when used with the Real-Time Crime Center, it can reduce response times and police presence while increasing trust and safety.

He also reiterated that Seattle does not use Flock Safety cameras and said the city does not contract with the Washington Department of Licensing, which he said was involved in previous reports showing information being shared with the federal government.

On concerns about federal access to surveillance data because servers may be located out of state, Kettle said the Department of Homeland Security has no access to Seattle police data regarding civil matters, such as immigration, unless the federal government subpoenas footage from the vendor. He said Seattle police own the data regardless of where it is stored.

Kettle said if a subpoena occurs, a City Council ordinance requests that CCTV systems be shut down for 60 days. He said those elements were included in Seattle’s CCTV and RTCC legislation to prevent overreach by the federal government and others.

Kettle also said Seattle police officers are not “constantly monitoring cameras” at the Real-Time Crime Center. He saidthe RTCC video is used only when analysts are asked to assist in specific cases and relevant footage is reviewed.

Kettle said that in the last year, the RTCC helped police “more swiftly solve homicides, sex trafficking and assaults.” He cited a homicide in June 2025 in downtown Seattle that he said was solved after RTCC staff identified a suspect in a video, and an October 2025 case in which RTCC assistance helped locate a sex trafficking suspect tracked to the light rail. Kettle said RTCC coordinated with Lynnwood police to take the suspect into custody, and the suspect was turned over to Seattle police.

Overall, Kettle said the RTCC assisted with 2,580 cases between May 20 and Dec. 31, 2025, including solving 17 homicides and being associated with 947 arrests.

“Ultimately, implementation of ALPR, CCTV, and RTCC technology in Seattle is not a choice between public safety and personal privacy – it is a smart and responsive commitment to both,” Kettle said.

He pointed to legislative guardrails, including the 60-day shutdown provision and limits on data sharing, and said the city will continue to prioritize transparency and independent evaluations.