Georgia lawmaker calls for balanced oversight of license plate readers

State Sen. John Albers is pushing for a measured approach to regulating automated license plate readers after recent cases involving alleged misuse of Flock Safety data.

Albers, who chairs the Senate Public Safety Committee, is working with state police chiefs and sheriffs’ associations to establish a task force focused on the technology, GPB reports. The group will examine privacy violations involving officers accused of using Flock databases for personal reasons while seeking ways to preserve the system’s role in criminal investigations.

Albers said the goal is to strengthen accountability without eliminating a tool he considers valuable for public safety.

“People made mistakes and misused something, and it also can be an invaluable crime-fighting tool,” Albers said. “So we’re not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We’re going to make sure we solve the problem, and we work together to keep the public safe, make sure there’s confidence and transparency in the process, and we move forward together in the state of Georgia.”

The senator said agencies should consider routine audits and stronger access controls before lawmakers pursue new legislation.

“We don’t want to have a knee-jerk reaction,” Albers told GPB. “What we want to do is stop and say, ‘Where was the problem? How can we fix this by using people, process and technology?’”

The task force plans to present recommendations before the 2027 legislative session begins in January.