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Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025

Are South Dakota police departments using automatic license plate readers?

Michael Klinski, South Dakota News Watch
yes

Several South Dakota police departments, including Sioux Falls and Madison, are using Flock Safety automatic license plate readers for surveillance purposes with the goal of cutting back on crime.

In early 2025, the Sioux Falls City Council approved a $168,000 contract for the police department to purchase and implement software for 25 cameras. According to Flock and the Sioux Falls PD, those cameras are only used to detect license plates.

Police Chief Jon Thum said they cannot be used for facial recognition, and a transparency portal on the Flock website says they are not used for immigration enforcement. 

But Flock cameras have been used in immigration enforcement elsewhere across the country. Santa Cruz, California, paused its use of data sharing after out-of-state agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, accessed license plate data illegally.

Cameras have been used for immigration reasons in several other states, including Colorado and Virginia.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

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