San Jose police officer fired after accessing ALPR data to help relative track domestic violence victim
A San Jose police officer was fired after using a personal device to access automated license plate reader data while off-duty, the police chief said.
San Jose Police Chief Paul Joseph said the officer used the ALPR system to search for the vehicle of a domestic violence victim, and shared the vehicle's location with the suspect, who is a relative of the officer. The officer was immediately placed on leave and later terminated following a criminal investigation. Joseph said.
The case was submitted to the state's Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training to determine whether the misconduct warrants a permanent suspension of the officer's license to work as a peace officer in California, Joseph said.
Bay Area News Group reported that the unidentified officer had been with the department for about two years and was fired in April after a year-long investigation. The officer's relative was not criminally charged in the domestic violence case, nor was the officer, the report said, because the state law making it illegal for officers to access confidential databases without a legitimate law-enforcement purpose does not cover ALPR data.
Joseph said the San Jose Police Department instituted new policies last week in response to the former officer's improper accessing of ALPR data. The new policies restrict ALPR and all other law enforcement sensitive systems from being accessed on personal devices. All officers were also admonished that improper access of ALPR and other law enforcement systems is grounds for termination, Joseph said.
"When an officer violates the public's trust this severely, my responsibility is clear: that person cannot remain in a position of police authority, and they cannot wear the San José badge," Joseph said in a prepared statement. "This technology is new; the standard is not."
Joseph said that in addition to the current monthly ALPR audits, the department is testing smart auditing tools that would flag instances of access without a lawful purpose.
San Jose launched its ALPR network with Atlanta-based provider Flock Safety in 2021 beginning with four cameras in a single intersection as a pilot program. The network has since grown to nearly 500 cameras across the city. Law enforcement agencies nationwide credit the cameras for significant drops in crime, but critics say the cameras violate people's privacy rights, create databases of people engaged in lawful activities, and allow data to be shared across jurisdictions.
In March, San Jose placed restrictions on its ALPR network, prohibiting cameras from recording vehicles at houses of worship and reproductive health clinics and restricting access by federal and immigration agencies. The new rules also reduced the data storage period from one year to 30 days. The changes came following a November 2025 lawsuit against the city filed by local advocacy groups who allege that ALPR data searches by law enforcement violate drivers' privacy rights under the California Constitution.
In April, three San Jose residents filed a class-action lawsuit against the city over its ALPR network, alleging it violates their constitutional rights and constitutes a mass surveillance of the public. The lawsuit also seeks the deletion of license plate data within 24 hours of collection, except when police obtain a warrant for longer retention.
