St. Paul Drops Flock Cameras: How to Request Your Plate's Audit Trail Under Minnesota Law

October 4, 2026

St. Paul is taking down its Flock license plate cameras. On Wednesday, Aug. 26, the City Council unanimously passed a resolution calling for an end to Flock camera use, and the same day Mayor Kaohly Her and Police Chief Axel Henry announced the city would remove its cameras.

St. Paul residents also have something most Americans don't: a state law that spells out how plate reader data must be logged, destroyed and audited, and that makes the search audit trail public in most cases. Here's what happened and how to use that law.

What happened

The city operated two Flock cameras, located at Kellogg Boulevard and Smith Street. In a joint statement reported by MPR News, the mayor and chief said they "understand and share the concerns raised by our community about other jurisdictions accessing data during Operation Metro Surge." They also urged state lawmakers to create a statewide standard balancing privacy and public safety.

Dozens of residents spoke at the special council meeting that afternoon. Council President Rebecca Noecker said the police department had shared residents' data with "60 other agencies until just a couple days ago," and that she had not yet reviewed the contract itself.

The council's resolution is not a binding ban. As FOX 9 explained, the council can request action from other bodies but can't order it. The resolution asks the mayor's office and Ramsey County commissioners to end Flock camera use, and asks the administration to report back on its progress within 60 days, which puts that report in late October.

One more thing residents should know: MPR reported that the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office continues to operate several plate readers locally. The city's decision doesn't cover those.

What these cameras collect

Flock cameras photograph passing vehicles and log the plate, time and location, along with vehicle details like make, color and type. That data sits in a searchable system that other agencies can query if sharing is turned on, which is exactly the concern Noecker raised. Minnesota limits what may be collected to plate numbers; date, time and location; and pictures of plates, vehicles and the surrounding area. Data not tied to an active criminal investigation must be destroyed within 60 days of collection.

Want the short version to keep? Get the free Flock Camera Field Guide.

If you live in St. Paul

Your tool is the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (Minn. Stat. ch. 13), and specifically Minn. Stat. § 13.824, the plate reader section. Send requests in writing to the city's data practices contact.

1. Your own plate's records

Plate reader data is classified as private data on individuals in most cases. That means the public can't see it, but you, as the subject, can ask for data about yourself. Under § 13.04, subd. 3, the agency must respond immediately if possible, or within 10 business days, and must show you the data without charge (copies may cost the actual copying cost).

Even better, § 13.824 requires every query, response and act of sharing to be recorded in an audit trail, and says audit trail data "are public, to the extent that the data are not otherwise classified by law." Ask for:

Any plate reader data the city holds on your plate.
All audit trail entries where your plate was queried, including the agency, date and stated basis for each search.
Audit trail entries showing St. Paul data shared with or accessed by outside agencies.

2. The contract, logs and audits

The Flock contract, amendments and any termination or removal paperwork.
The public log of use that § 13.824 requires, including the list of current and previous fixed camera locations with dates.
The most recent independent biennial audit the law requires.
The 60-day progress report the council requested, once it's filed.

3. Confirm the data is gone

Ask the city in writing: Did Flock delete all St. Paul data when the cameras came down, and on what date? Was any data retained as active investigative data? Request written confirmation of deletion from the vendor. The same law applies to the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office, so you can send a parallel request there.

If your city still has them

Find the staff report. Search your council's agenda archive for "Flock," "ALPR" or "license plate." Check when it was approved and whether council voted on it at all.
Send written questions to your council member and police chief: Is sharing turned on? With how many agencies? When was the last audit?
Speak at public comment. Specific facts and one clear ask beat general alarm.
Build a coalition. This issue draws people from across the political spectrum. Show up together.

Don't touch the cameras themselves. It's a crime, and it hands the vendor the story it wants. The wins come from councils.

Going further

Ghost Protocol ($19.99) is our field guide and toolkit for dealing with plate readers. If you're organizing against a contract, the Organizer Kit is built for that. To send the requests above without starting from a blank page, grab the $9 Records Request Letter Pack.