California Attorney General Rob Bonta has taken decisive action against the city of El Cajon, filing a motion this week that seeks to prohibit the sharing of automatic license plate reader (ALPR) data with agencies outside the state. The request, presented to a San Diego Superior Court, aims to enforce California’s privacy laws regarding the management of sensitive data collected by local law enforcement.
Bonta’s motion, filed on February 13, 2025, is accompanied by a request for a writ of mandamus, a legal order that would compel El Cajon to cease its current data-sharing practices. According to the California Department of Justice, El Cajon’s ALPR system has been queried by agencies nationwide, resulting in the logging of hundreds of thousands of vehicle reads over recent weeks.
State Challenges El Cajon’s Practices
The California Department of Justice emphasizes that Bonta’s legal action aims to declare the city’s data-sharing methods unlawful. The filing seeks both declaratory and injunctive relief, which would require El Cajon and its police chief to stop transmitting ALPR information beyond California’s borders. Local media reports indicate that El Cajon’s ALPR network captures data on a massive scale, with hundreds of thousands of plate reads recorded each month.
In response, El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells defended the city’s practices, stating that the sharing of ALPR data serves as a crucial law enforcement tool. He expressed his commitment to continue this practice until a court orders otherwise. Wells contended that the system has proven effective in assisting investigators with serious crimes, labeling the state’s intervention as mere political grandstanding. City officials maintain that cross-jurisdictional access is essential for effective public safety operations.
Concerns Over Privacy and Data Use
Privacy advocates and immigrant-rights organizations have raised alarms about the potential misuse of ALPR data. They argue that such records can create comprehensive profiles of individuals’ movements. Once shared with agencies outside California, there are fears that this information could facilitate immigration enforcement or be used in other ways that fall outside the state’s regulatory framework. These concerns are rooted in SB 34, a law enacted in 2015 that designates ALPR information as personal data and imposes restrictions on its dissemination.
Protesters have consistently gathered outside El Cajon City Council meetings, applying public pressure on local leaders as the legal battle unfolds. According to reports, the Department of Justice first raised compliance concerns regarding El Cajon’s data-sharing in August 2024, with follow-up communications in August 2025. A spokesperson for the Department noted that letters were sent to 20 cities across California, with 19 cooperating to ensure compliance, while El Cajon remained resistant.
As the legal proceedings advance, the state is seeking a court order to prevent El Cajon from continuing its practice of sharing ALPR data outside California. This case is set for a hearing in San Diego Superior Court on February 13, 2025. Earlier legal actions included a lawsuit filed by Bonta against El Cajon in October 2024, which further escalated the ongoing dispute.
The core issue at stake is whether SB 34 provides California with sufficient authority to regulate the sharing of ALPR data across state lines. The outcome of this case could have significant implications not only for El Cajon but also for other jurisdictions that utilize similar data-sharing practices. A ruling in favor of the state could compel El Cajon and similar agencies to reevaluate and potentially limit access to their ALPR databases, ensuring greater compliance with privacy laws.