For the record:<\/p>\n
9:42 p.m. Oct. 6, 2026An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported that the City Council opted to overrule approval of the 10-year, $235-million contract between the Los Angeles Police Department and Axon Enterprise, halting a deal that had previously been signed off on by the Board of Police Commissioners. The vote was on a pilot program between the LAPD and Axon.<\/p>\n
Citing lingering concerns about the potential misuse of police license plate readers, the Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to delay an agreement that would enable the deployment of hundreds of the controversial devices<\/a> until officials are satisfied that the technology will be wielded responsibly.<\/p>\n By a 10-4 vote, the council opted to overrule approval of a pilot program by Axon Enterprise that would attach plate scanners to streetlights around Los Angeles, offering the Police Department a souped-up version of its current systems by using AI to identify vehicles, license plates, pedestrians and objects on streets and sidewalks. The arrangement had previously been signed off on by the Board of Police Commissioners.<\/p>\n The council said it also had concerns, but lacked the authority to do anything, about a 10-year, $235-million contract between the LAPD and Axon.<\/p>\n Axon is seeking with its pilot program to outfit hundreds of street lamps with plate scanners, which track the movements of vehicles around the city. <\/p>\n Under the other agreement, the company will replace thousands of body-worn cameras, supply new Tasers, provide cloud video storage, and roll out a program that uses artificial intelligence to assist officers in writing police reports.<\/p>\n The pilot program would attach plate scanners to streetlights around Los Angeles, offering the LAPD a souped-up version of its current systems by using AI to identify vehicles, license plates, pedestrians and objects on streets and sidewalks.<\/p>\n The council\u2019s decision \u2014 which was preceded by several fiery comments from members of the public who oppose the use of license plate readers \u2014 sends the pilot program to the public safety committee for consideration.<\/p>\n A police commission spokesperson said that the board\u2019s members weren\u2019t immediately available for comment.<\/p>\n Several council members voiced unease about proceeding without a better sense of the LAPD\u2019s internal policy on license plate reader use. Delaying the contract, Councilmember Hugo Soto-Mart\u00ednez said, would give the public and city leaders more time to review the safeguards and policies written into the LAPD\u2019s proposed memorandum of understanding with Axon.<\/p>\n Councilmember Traci Park, a staunch supporter of plate reader technology, said there is an urgent need to get the devices \u201cup and running.\u201d<\/p>\n Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez shot back that it would be irresponsible to deploy the technology, citing news reports about officers misusing plate readers to stalk romantic partners and track women seeking reproductive health services. <\/p>\n Earlier this year, the LAPD allowed its agreement with one of Axon\u2019s chief competitors, Flock Safety, to lapse over concerns that the Trump administration is using the data it collects to locate immigrants targeted for deportation. Police officials say they no longer have access to the company\u2019s cameras, many of which are owned by homeowners associations and other private groups.<\/p>\n LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell and other department leaders have pushed to expand the use of license plate readers, saying they are a valuable tool for solving crimes, enabling investigators to more easily locate stolen vehicles and fugitives.<\/p>\n