ALPR Program

HOW BARTLESVILLE's ALPR PROGRAM WORKS

We believe in transparency. Our ALPR system doesn’t watch people — it watches plates. It’s limited, locally controlled, and designed with safeguards. On this page, you’ll learn the facts and clear up the myths.

Bartlesville’s Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) program is designed to deter crime and help identify vehicles connected to criminal activity. Our system is not an enforcement tool. It does not issue tickets, track people, access personal information, use facial recognition, or identify people by their face, body, phone, Bluetooth signal, or other personal device. It only captures public license plates and basic vehicle details from public roadways.

Unlike many ALPR programs used across the country, Bartlesville’s system operates with additional safeguards and strict oversight requirements. Every search is logged, audited and tied to a case number, and monthly reports are provided to the City Council. Access to the system is limited to authorized personnel, and images not connected to investigations are automatically deleted after 30 days. These local controls ensure the system is used responsibly, transparently and with a strong commitment to protecting the privacy and civil liberties of the community.

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FACTS VS. MISINFORMATION

We appreciate our community’s interest in public safety technology such as ALPR. Questions are always welcome, but false claims about how the system works can harm public trust and the partnerships that help keep our city safe. Bartlesville’s program is not surveillance, and it is not the scare tactics you may have heard.

Bartlesville’s ALPR program was designed with community trust in mind. We are committed to transparency and encourage anyone with questions to contact us directly for accurate, fact‑based information. This page explains the facts, clears up the myths, and shows how the system protects both safety and privacy.

HOW ALPRs WORK

ALPR cameras capture limited information visible from a public roadway: an image of the vehicle, an image of the license plate, the location where the image was captured and the date and time the vehicle passed. The cameras take point‑in‑time, still images from fixed locations. They do not record video, do not track individuals and do not create a record of everywhere someone travels.

The information collected is anonymous and vehicle‑based. The camera does not identify the driver or passengers or collect a person’s name, address, driver’s license information, or other personal details simply from reading a license plate. To determine the registered owner of a vehicle, an authorized officer must conduct a separate query through a secure registration database. Access is restricted, monitored, and audited. Federal law also protects personal information in state motor vehicle records. The Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (18 U.S.C. §§ 2721–2725) limits access to and disclosure of this information and allows its use only for legally permitted purposes.

WHAT ALPRs DO

ALPRs assist law enforcement in identifying and locating vehicles associated with criminal investigations, missing persons, AMBER and Silver Alerts and other public‑safety incidents. They help recover stolen vehicles, solve hit‑and‑run cases and support investigations in partnership with other jurisdictions.

The system alerts officers when a vehicle linked to criminal activity appears on a National Crime Information Center (NCIC) hotlist. This list includes wanted and missing persons, felony‑related vehicles, stolen plates, and stolen vehicles reported by law enforcement agencies nationwide.

BPD has used the system to locate elderly and vulnerable individuals in need of assistance, including one person who had threatened self‑harm, and to apprehend suspects in several local cases.

WHAT ALPRs DO NOT DO

ALPRs do not identify drivers or passengers, do not access personal information and do not use facial recognition or biometric technology. They do not detect or collect information from cell phones, Bluetooth devices, smartwatches or other personal electronics.

They are not used to issue traffic citations or serve as automated enforcement systems.

The information captured is anonymous and vehicle‑based.

LOCAL SAFEGUARDS AND LIMITATIONS

Bartlesville’s ALPR program includes several additional safeguards beyond industry standards:

BPD limits the system to a maximum of 10 cameras, all located within city limits.

Access is restricted to key Police Department personnel, including command staff, selected dispatchers and the district attorney investigator.

Any images not used for an investigation are automatically deleted after 30 days.

OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Every ALPR search is recorded, logged and audited. Each log includes the date and time of the search, the license plate or data queried, the reason for the search, the associated case number and the identity of the authorized user.

A report containing all searches and their justification is provided to the City Council every month. The system providers also flag suspicious use.

A public transparency portal is available for residents to see how the system is being used.

 

DATA SHARING AND OWNERSHIP

Bartlesville Police Department controls its own ALPR data. It is shared only with law‑enforcement agencies that meet BPD’s standards and is never sold to private companies or third parties. Private customers of ALPR vendors cannot access law‑enforcement data. There is no federal back‑door access.

LEGAL USE

Courts across the country have upheld the use of ALPR evidence, and ALPR use does not violate the Fourth Amendment.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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Can ALPRs track people?

No. ALPRs take a point‑in‑time image of a vehicle and do not track individuals or create a travel history.

Do ALPRs identify people?

No. The information captured by the ALPR camera itself is anonymous and vehicle-based. The camera does not identify the driver or occupants of the vehicle, nor does it obtain a person’s name, address, driver’s license information, or other personal information simply by reading the characters displayed on a license plate.

To determine the registered owner of a vehicle, an authorized officer must conduct a separate query through a secure vehicle-registration database. Access to those systems is restricted, controlled, and subject to auditing.

How long is data stored?

Images not used for an investigation are deleted after 30 days.

Do ALPR cameras record video?

No. ALPRs capture still images only. They do not record video footage or provide continuous monitoring of any location.

Can private companies access Bartlesville’s ALPR data?

No. Private customers of ALPR vendors cannot access law‑enforcement data. BPD controls its own data and shares it only with approved agencies.

Are children safe where ALPRs are used?

Yes. ALPRs capture still images focused on vehicles. BPD has no knowledge of children being harmed by ALPR usage and has used the system to safely return children to their parents.

Do ALPRs use facial recognition?

No. The system does not use facial recognition or biometric technology.

Can ALPRs see inside vehicles?

No. ALPRs capture exterior images of vehicles and license plates only. They do not see inside vehicles or identify drivers or passengers.

How many images does the camera capture?

Typically 6–12 images per vehicle as it passes through the frame.

What is a hot list?

ALPRs integrate with the FBI NCIC database of wanted vehicles. When a camera detects a wanted car, an alert is sent to law enforcement.

TRANSPARENCY RESOURCES