Gov. Larry Rhoden says license plate readers work and need "sound guardrails"
Larry RhodenGovernor of South Dakota, in an emailed statement from his office
In a statement sent by his press secretary, South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden said license plate readers recently helped save a kidnapped 15-year-old girl in the state and that "this technology works," while sound guardrails are needed. He said his team is working with law enforcement and the attorney general to determine those guardrails.
“Just a few weeks ago, license plate readers here in South Dakota helped save a 15-year-old girl who had been kidnapped! This technology works; but like anything, we must have sound guardrails in place. My team is actively working with law enforcement and the Attorney General to determine what those guardrails look like.”
Emailed statement
Read the full email
The number one responsibility of government is keeping people safe – and we should do so responsibly and with an eye to privacy. Just a few weeks ago, license plate readers here in South Dakota helped save a 15-year-old girl who had been kidnapped! This technology works; but like anything, we must have sound guardrails in place. My team is actively working with law enforcement and the Attorney General to determine what those guardrails look like.
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.
Source and context
Emailed statement
Emailed statement from Gov. Larry Rhoden's office to Dispute Index on license plate readers
The number one responsibility of government is keeping people safe – and we should do so responsibly and with an eye to privacy. Just a few weeks ago, license plate readers here in South Dakota helped save a 15-year-old girl who had been kidnapped! This technology works; but like anything, we must have sound guardrails in place. My team is actively working with law enforcement and the Attorney General to determine what those guardrails look like.
About this source
Press Secretary Josie Harms sent this statement by email, attributed to Gov. Larry Rhoden, in reply to a Dispute Index request about license plate readers. The link is to the governor's website; the statement itself is not published there. The text is reproduced as sent, with a garbled character restored to the dash it represents.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Dispute Index asked Rhoden's office where the governor stands on Flock-style license plate readers. His press secretary replied with a statement attributed to him that opens, "The number one responsibility of government is keeping people safe – and we should do so responsibly and with an eye to privacy."
After the quotation
The statement ends here.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is whether networked license-plate reader systems such as Flock should exist and be used. Rhoden defends the readers as technology that works, citing a kidnapping rescue, and calls for guardrails his team is still developing, which supports continued use with safeguards, so we labeled it Defended with the Guardrails step. His call for guardrails does not make his support conditional.
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Cite this record
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- The Dispute Index
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- Gov. Larry Rhoden says license plate readers work and need "sound guardrails"
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- https://disputeindex.com/events/4371-in-a-statement-sent-by-his-press-secretary
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Gov. Larry Rhoden says license plate readers work and need "sound guardrails"". First published: 2026-10-01. Last updated: 2026-10-01. https://disputeindex.com/events/4371-in-a-statement-sent-by-his-press-secretary