Oregon Lawsuit Challenges Secrecy Around License-Plate Cameras

What sparked the lawsuit

- Eugene resident Chris Girard filed suit after repeated records requests for camera locations were denied.

- The ACLU argues residents deserve to know where surveillance systems monitor public roads.

The city’s defense

- Officials say revealing exact camera sites could help criminals evade detection.

- They cite Oregon’s “security exemption” to justify withholding the data.

Why this case matters

- Could set a transparency precedent for thousands of U.S. communities using Flock Safety cameras.

- Raises constitutional and civil-rights questions about how police collect and share movement data.

Legal and policy take-aways

- Municipalities should re-evaluate how they apply “public-safety” exemptions to surveillance programs.

- Vendors must clarify data-ownership, retention, and sharing clauses in public-sector contracts.

- Expect more open-records litigation over automated license-plate readers nationwide.

What’s next

- The Oregon court will decide if privacy or transparency prevails.

- A ruling for the ACLU could force disclosure of camera locations and reshape public-records access for surveillance systems.