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Surprise identifies 'anomaly' in use of license plate reader system, suspends use of the system

By
FOX 10 Phoenix
Crime and Public Safety
Published August 12, 2026 5:36 PM MST
Published August 12, 2026 5:36 PM MST
article

(From Archive)

The Brief

    • The City of Surprise has announced that they will suspend their use of their automated license plate reader technology. 
    • The announcement came after a routine audit "identified an anomaly in the use of the system."
    • In recent days, a number of Valley cities have announced that they will cease using the technology.

SURPRISE, Ariz. - The City of Surprise announced on Aug. 12 that they will suspend their use of automated license plate readers (ALPR).

What we know:

In a statement, police said they made the decision to stop using the ALPRs, after a routine audit that happened in the same week "identified an anomaly in the use of the system."

"The City has launched an investigation into a potential violation of its ALPR policy, and a Surprise Police officer has been placed on administrative leave until the investigation can be completed," read a portion of the statement.

What we don't know:

Police did not detail the specific anomaly in the system's use, nor did they identify the officer who was placed on administrative leave.

By the numbers:

In their statement, Surprise Police say they began using ALPRs over two years ago, and currently, there are 28 such cameras operating in the West Valley city.

"The technology has been used to help solve many local crimes, including homicides, robberies and carjackings," read a portion of the statement.

What they're saying:

"This technology has proven to be extremely valuable in solving serious crimes. As we look to continue the use of this public safety tool, we want strong safeguards in place that not only alert of misuse but also prevent it," said Surprise Police Chief Evan Becher,

Big picture view:

Surprise is not the only Valley city in recent days to announce a problem with their ALPR system.

On Aug. 7, Chandler Police announced they will end their use of 40 Flock cameras located within the city, after an internal investigation was launched into potential misuse of the technology.

Just days later, on Aug. 10, Apache Junction Police announced that one of their officers resigned after using license plate readers improperly. The now-former officer, identified as Joshua McDaniel, and police chief Michael pooled said they learned that McDaniel used the technology to find his wife.

A day later, on Aug. 11, Tempe Police announced that they will end license plate reader data sharing with Flock. Officials with the East Valley city said their police department has "never used Flock Safety data for any purpose other than law enforcement," and that multiple audits have not found misuse.

The Source: Information for this article was gathered from a statement released by Surprise Police, with supplemental information gathered from previous FOX 10 news reports.

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