DOWNTOWN TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) — A new report in the Tallahassee City Commission's agenda is detailing exactly how the Tallahassee Police Department is using automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology — ahead of a planned commission discussion Wednesday that could determine the system's future.
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The city's continued use of ALPR cameras is facing increased pressure from neighbors who say the technology is a violation of privacy and prone to misuse, as well as from state and other local agencies that are ordering the devices off state roads and either ending or suspending vendor contracts.
According to the commission agenda item, TPD is operating a total of 155 cameras — 80 Flock cameras and 75 Vigilant cameras.
The cameras are operated under General Order 56, which requires officers to log a purpose and specific case number for every search, complete mandatory training, and visually verify that hits on the camera matches the target vehicle.
The order also requires monthly and annual audits to check for misuse.
The report adds that the ALPRs have helped solve crimes, including a 2022 shooting at FAMU’s outdoor basketball courts, a 2025 murder on Palmetto Street, and a 2026 murder on Sharer Road.
Tim Stadlmueller, who started the effort against ALPRs, said that while he believes crimes should be solved, he disagrees with this specific tool.
"Police should have tools to solve crimes. I think that we're in a place right now, as human society, where technology has become so powerful that we have to make some really pragmatic decisions about what we do and don't accept. I think that ALPR technology tracks every person in a way that implies that every person is being investigated like a potential suspect, which is how police states operate,” he said.
There is no staff recommendation in the agenda item, leaving the decision to commission direction.
Stadlmueller said citizens are calling for broader action.
"Citizens more broadly are calling for a full moratorium on not only ALPR technology, but all AI-assisted surveillance technology, and I think more broadly, also, I would like to see a public-facing conversation about exactly how this technology came to our community in the first place, how much money has been spent on it, who made the decision, and more broadly, what all these systems are that are currently running,” Stadlmueller said.
The City Commission meeting starts at 3:00 p.m. Wednesday.
Commissioners are also set to finalize a contract for the city's new city manager, introduce an ordinance that could impact water and sewer fee rates, and hold a public hearing for the city's 2027 budget.
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