California Sues El Cajon, Police Chief Over ALPR Sharing

California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued the City of El Cajon, its police department and Police Chief Jeremiah Larson in San Diego Superior Court, alleging they violated SB 34 by sharing Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) data with federal and out‑of‑state law enforcement in roughly 26 states. The state is asking a court to block further transfers, saying prior DOJ guidance — including a 2023 AG bulletin — warned that data leaving California is outside state oversight and could enable immigration enforcement or tracking of people seeking reproductive or gender‑affirming care or attending protests. El Cajon officials, including Mayor Bill Wells and City Manager Graham Mitchell, deny the allegations, call the suit politically motivated and say they relied on legal opinions that allow cross‑jurisdictional sharing for investigations. Reporting says El Cajon began using about 100 Flock Safety ALPR cameras in August 2023, has uploaded time‑stamped plate data (typically deleted after 30 days if unused), and appears to be the only agency in San Diego County sharing ALPR data out of state.