Ferguson described Washington's new license plate reader restrictions as a balance between police use and privacy.

Bob FergusonBob Ferguson, sitting state governor

Ferguson described Washington's new license plate reader restrictions as a balance between police use and privacy.

“strikes a balance”

Reporting

Open source (opens in a new tab)Washington adds safeguards for Flock camerasGovernor quotation and surrounding reader-policy discussion
A close view of a green Flock Safety automated license-plate reader mounted beside a street.
Credit: Bruxton

Where this statement fits

Should Flock-style license-plate surveillance networks exist?

Networked automated license-plate readers record passing vehicles and let agencies search or share travel records across locations. Candidates and officials disagree over whether to prohibit these networks, keep them with legal limits, or defend their use for investigations. This tracker records attributable positions on that choice, including proposals that would affect only public funding or data access.

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Source and context

Reporting

Washington adds safeguards for Flock cameras (opens in a new tab)Governor quotation and surrounding reader-policy discussion

About this source

Ferguson spoke while signing Senate Bill 6002 on March 30, 2026.

Archived copy (opens in a new tab)

Before the quotation

Ferguson spoke while signing Senate Bill 6002 on March 30, 2026.

After the quotation

The law permits specified investigations, limits most retention to 21 days and bars uses including immigration enforcement. Critics sought tighter restrictions.

How this statement is classified

Mixed or conditional

The label describes this statement's response within the context above.

Why this label?

Ferguson supports continued use under concrete statutory restrictions. His endorsement covers the qualified use authorized by the law rather than unrestricted surveillance.

Recorded on
Published here
People and groups discussed
Flock Safety

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Cite this record

Publisher
The Dispute Index
Title
Ferguson described Washington's new license plate reader restrictions as a balance between police use and privacy.
First published
Last updated
Permalink
https://disputeindex.com/events/3569-ferguson-described-washington-s-new-license-plate-reader

Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.

The Dispute Index. "Ferguson described Washington's new license plate reader restrictions as a balance between police use and privacy.". First published: 2026-09-30. Last updated: 2026-09-30. https://disputeindex.com/events/3569-ferguson-described-washington-s-new-license-plate-reader