On the agenda: Bridgewater Public Safety — Automated License Plate (Oct 1)

Town of Bridgewater
Public Safety Committee
October 1, 2026
7:00 PM
Academy Building
66 Central Square
Conference Room 201A/2nd Floor
and via Zoom:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85039920601

MEETING AGENDA
A Quorum of the Town Council May Be In Attendance
A.

Call to Order

B.

Approval of Meeting Minutes

C.

Public Comment

D.

Legislation Referred
a)

Proposed General Ordinance D-FY27-003: An Ordinance Amending Part III of the
General Ordinances by Establishing a New Chapter Entitled "Municipal Surveillance
Technology"

E.

Public Comment

F.

Adjournment of Meeting

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Bridgewater Town Council

Introduced By:
Date Introduced:
First Reading:
Second Reading:
Amendments Adopted:
Third Reading:
Date Adopted:
Date Effective:

Sean Kennedy, Councilor
8/11/2026
8/11/2026
9/8/2026

Proposed General Ordinance D-FY27-003: An Ordinance Amending Part III of the General
Ordinances by Establishing a New Chapter Entitled "Municipal Surveillance Technology"
ORDERED that the Town Council of the Town of Bridgewater, Massachusetts in Town Council
assembled vote to amend Part III of the General Ordinances of the Town of Bridgewater by inserting
a new Chapter ___, entitled "Municipal Surveillance Technology," containing Article I, entitled
"Automated License Plate Reader Systems," as in the attached.
Explanation:
This ordinance prohibits the Town of Bridgewater from acquiring, installing, operating, or directly
accessing Flock Safety cameras or any other automated license plate reader system. It applies
regardless of whether the technology is obtained through a purchase, grant, donation, free trial, private
funding, vendor arrangement, regional network, or another public or private entity.
ALPR systems automatically collect vehicle images, plate numbers, locations, dates, times, and travel
information and convert those observations into searchable records. A single observation on a public road
may reveal little, but combining records from many cameras and communities can create a detailed
history of a vehicle’s movements. These records are generally collected without notice or meaningful
individual choice and are maintained through privately operated technology platforms whose access,
retention, sharing, and expanding capabilities depend on vendor systems, agency settings, contracts, and
applicable law.
Emerging technologies demonstrate how quickly license plate surveillance can expand beyond identifying
vehicles. Systems such as Leonardo’s ELSAG SignalTrace are being developed to associate license
plate records with signals from phones, smartwatches, fitness trackers, and other electronic devices
traveling inside a vehicle. As these capabilities continue to develop faster than legislative safeguards and
public oversight, this ordinance pauses Town participation in ALPR systems. The Town may reconsider
the issue in the future if the technology, applicable law, and available protections provide a clearer and
more accountable framework for municipal use, including reliable safeguards against the transfer,
retention, or aggregation of locally collected data in privately operated databases or broader data-sharing
networks.

VOICE VOTE TO REFER TO PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE
REQUIRES MAJORITY OF THOSE PRESENT AND VOTING
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The ordinance preserves the Police Department’s ability to receive and review specific information
lawfully provided in connection with a particular incident or investigation. Implementation is assigned to
the Town Manager or the Town Manager’s designee.

Committee Referrals and Dispositions:
Referral(s)

Disposition(s)

• Town Council

• 8/11/26: Referred ot Rules & Procedures

• Rules & Procedures

• 8/26/26: Voted 3-0 to recommend.

• Town Council

• 9/8/26: Voted to refer to Public Safety

Attachments:

1.
2.

D-FY27-003 Attachment Memorandum
D-FY27-003 Attachment

VOICE VOTE TO REFER TO PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE
REQUIRES MAJORITY OF THOSE PRESENT AND VOTING
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MEMORANDUM
Supporting Memorandum: Automated License Plate Reader Systems

This memorandum provides additional background supporting the proposed ordinance. It is intended as
legislative background and is not part of the codified ordinance.
Privately operated, government-searchable movement records
Automated license plate reader systems collect vehicle images, plate numbers, locations, dates, times, vehicle
characteristics, and travel information and convert those observations into searchable records. The records
are collected automatically as vehicles pass roadside cameras, generally without notice or meaningful
individual choice. Participating agencies may search or receive alerts through privately operated platforms
whose access, retention, sharing, and integrations depend on vendor systems, agency settings, contracts, and
applicable law.
Aggregation changes the nature of observation
A single vehicle sighting on a public road may reveal little. The policy concern arises when many
observations are retained, searched, and combined across time and across multiple cameras or communities.
That aggregation can create a detailed account of a vehicle’s movements and associations that would be
difficult to reproduce through ordinary human observation.
Local retention does not necessarily control copies elsewhere
A short local retention period may reduce the amount of data kept directly under Town control, but it may
not determine whether duplicate records have been shared with or retained by a vendor, another agency, or a
broader network. The practical effect of a deletion policy therefore depends on how the system is configured,
where records are stored, what sharing has occurred, and which legal or evidentiary obligations apply.
Routine database access differs from incident-specific police work
The ordinance distinguishes routine or automated access to a searchable ALPR system from traditional,
incident-specific police work. It preserves manual plate checks and the receipt and review of particular
information or images lawfully provided in connection with a specific incident, traffic stop, investigation, or
call for service.
Developing legal and policy framework
The legal and policy standards governing large-scale location information, privately maintained databases,
interagency access, retention, and automated surveillance continue to develop. The ordinance reflects a
legislative policy choice to discontinue Town participation while those standards and safeguards remain
unsettled. The Town Council may reconsider the issue in the future if applicable law, technical controls,
contractual protections, and public oversight provide a clearer and more accountable framework for
municipal use.

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PART III GENERAL ORDINANCES
CHAPTER ___ MUNICIPAL SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY
ARTICLE I AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READER SYSTEMS
§ ___-1. Purpose.
The purpose of this article is to prohibit the acquisition, operation, access, and use by or on behalf of the
Town of automated license plate reader systems and data obtained through such systems.
§ ___-2. Definitions.
As used in this article:
ALPR DATA. Any license plate number, vehicle image or description, location, date, time, direction of
travel, alert, search result, or associated metadata collected, generated, received, or derived through an ALPR
System.
AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READER SYSTEM or ALPR SYSTEM. A camera or sensor,
together with associated software, databases, networks, or services, that automatically captures an image of a
license plate or vehicle, converts or analyzes the image, and records the observation with its date, time,
location, or other travel information. The term includes systems and services offered by Flock Safety and any
substantially similar or successor technology.
§ ___-3. Prohibited activities.
The Town may not, directly or through another person or entity:
A. Purchase, lease, accept, install, operate, maintain, test, or use an ALPR System;
B. Apply for, accept, or expend any grant, donation, forfeiture proceeds, private funding, free trial,
equipment loan, or other funding or assistance for an ALPR System;
C. Enter into, renew, extend, expand, or replace any contract, subscription, license, memorandum of
understanding, data-sharing agreement, or other arrangement involving an ALPR System or ALPR Data;
D. Request or arrange for another person or entity to undertake an activity prohibited by this section.
This section applies regardless of the source of funding, ownership or location of the equipment, or whether
the equipment, service, or data is provided without charge.
§ ___-4. Existing systems and agreements.
A. No prior grant acceptance, procurement action, authorization, or agreement authorizes continued Town
use of an ALPR System after the effective date of this article, except to the extent determined by the
Town Manager or the Town Manager’s designee to be necessary to satisfy or lawfully conclude a
binding legal or contractual obligation.
B. No agreement involving an ALPR System or ALPR Data may be renewed, extended, expanded, or
replaced with a substantially similar system or service.
C. The Town Manager or the Town Manager’s designee must take all legally and contractually permissible
actions to:
1. Discontinue Town operation, access, and use of each ALPR System;
2. Deactivate or remove equipment installed for or on behalf of the Town;
3. Prevent further collection of ALPR Data for or on behalf of the Town; and
4. Terminate, or provide notice of nonrenewal of, any related agreement at the earliest legally
permissible time.
D. The Town Manager or the Town Manager’s designee must request deletion of ALPR Data collected for or
on behalf of the Town and, when reasonably available, obtain confirmation of deletion, except where
retention is required by law, court order, records-retention requirement, litigation hold, or evidentiary
obligation.
§ ___-5. Exceptions.
This article does not prohibit:

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A. The manual observation, recording, or checking of a license plate in connection with a specific incident,
traffic stop, investigation, or call for service;
B. Receipt and review of specific information lawfully provided in connection with a particular incident or
investigation;
C. Review of a particular photograph or recording lawfully obtained in connection with a specific incident.
D. The use of body-worn cameras, provided that footage from such cameras is not subjected to automated
license plate recognition or used to create ALPR Data; or
E. Conduct expressly required by state or federal law or by order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
Nothing in this section authorizes routine or automated access to an ALPR System, network, or database.
§ ___-6. Administration.
The Town Manager or the Town Manager’s designee must administer this article.
Section 2. Implementation report. Within 45 days after the effective date of this ordinance, the Town
Manager or the Town Manager’s designee must submit a report to the Town Council identifying:
A. Each ALPR System currently possessed, operated, or accessible by the Town;
B. Any related grant, contract, subscription, or data-sharing agreement;
C. The status of discontinuation, termination, nonrenewal, removal, and data deletion;
D. Any legal or contractual impediment to complete discontinuation; and
E. The anticipated date of termination or expiration of any agreement that cannot immediately be concluded.
Section 3. Severability. If any provision of this ordinance or its application is held invalid, the remaining
provisions and applications are not affected.
Section 4. Effective date. This ordinance takes effect in accordance with the Bridgewater Home Rule
Charter.

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EXPLANATION
This ordinance prohibits the Town of Bridgewater from acquiring, installing, operating, or directly accessing
Flock Safety cameras or any other automated license plate reader system. It applies regardless of whether the
technology is obtained through a purchase, grant, donation, free trial, private funding, vendor arrangement,
regional network, or another public or private entity.
ALPR systems automatically collect vehicle images, plate numbers, locations, dates, times, and travel
information and convert those observations into searchable records. A single observation on a public road
may reveal little, but combining records from many cameras and communities can create a detailed history of
a vehicle’s movements. These records are generally collected without notice or meaningful individual choice
and are maintained through privately operated technology platforms whose access, retention, sharing, and
expanding capabilities depend on vendor systems, agency settings, contracts, and applicable law.
Emerging technologies demonstrate how quickly license plate surveillance can expand beyond identifying
vehicles. Systems such as Leonardo’s ELSAG SignalTrace are being developed to associate license plate
records with signals from phones, smartwatches, fitness trackers, and other electronic devices traveling
inside a vehicle. As these capabilities continue to develop faster than legislative safeguards and public
oversight, this ordinance pauses Town participation in ALPR systems. The Town may reconsider the issue in
the future if the technology, applicable law, and available protections provide a clearer and more accountable
framework for municipal use, including reliable safeguards against the transfer, retention, or aggregation of
locally collected data in privately operated databases or broader data-sharing networks.
The ordinance preserves the Police Department’s ability to receive and review specific information lawfully
provided in connection with a particular incident or investigation. Implementation is assigned to the Town
Manager or the Town Manager’s designee.

3

Page 7 of 8

MEMORANDUM
Supporting Memorandum: Automated License Plate Reader Systems

This memorandum provides additional background supporting the proposed ordinance. It is intended as
legislative background and is not part of the codified ordinance.
Privately operated, government-searchable movement records
Automated license plate reader systems collect vehicle images, plate numbers, locations, dates, times, vehicle
characteristics, and travel information and convert those observations into searchable records. The records
are collected automatically as vehicles pass roadside cameras, generally without notice or meaningful
individual choice. Participating agencies may search or receive alerts through privately operated platforms
whose access, retention, sharing, and integrations depend on vendor systems, agency settings, contracts, and
applicable law.
Aggregation changes the nature of observation
A single vehicle sighting on a public road may reveal little. The policy concern arises when many
observations are retained, searched, and combined across time and across multiple cameras or communities.
That aggregation can create a detailed account of a vehicle’s movements and associations that would be
difficult to reproduce through ordinary human observation.
Local retention does not necessarily control copies elsewhere
A short local retention period may reduce the amount of data kept directly under Town control, but it may
not determine whether duplicate records have been shared with or retained by a vendor, another agency, or a
broader network. The practical effect of a deletion policy therefore depends on how the system is configured,
where records are stored, what sharing has occurred, and which legal or evidentiary obligations apply.
Routine database access differs from incident-specific police work
The ordinance distinguishes routine or automated access to a searchable ALPR system from traditional,
incident-specific police work. It preserves manual plate checks and the receipt and review of particular
information or images lawfully provided in connection with a specific incident, traffic stop, investigation, or
call for service.
Developing legal and policy framework
The legal and policy standards governing large-scale location information, privately maintained databases,
interagency access, retention, and automated surveillance continue to develop. The ordinance reflects a
legislative policy choice to discontinue Town participation while those standards and safeguards remain
unsettled. The Town Council may reconsider the issue in the future if applicable law, technical controls,
contractual protections, and public oversight provide a clearer and more accountable framework for
municipal use.

4

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