College Place police to reactivate license plate cameras under strict new WA law
By Dan Thesman on Friday, June 12th, 2026 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
COLLEGE PLACE — The College Place Police Department intends to reactivate its license plate reader cameras on or around Monday following a months-long hiatus forced by changes to state law.
The city’s eight Flock Safety cameras were deactivated last November while state lawmakers debated revisions to the automated license plate reader (ALPR) law. The resulting legislation, Senate Bill 6002, took effect March 30, establishing strict new parameters for how Washington law enforcement agencies gather and share vehicular data.
Under the updated law, police can use the cameras to investigate felonies, gross misdemeanors, stolen vehicles, parking violations, and missing person cases. However, the law places new restrictions on placing cameras near healthcare facilities, schools, and places of worship. It also explicitly bans using the technology for immigration enforcement.
“Washington is a right to work state, and under state law, local and state law enforcement have no authority with immigration enforcement,” College Place Police Chief Troy Tomaras said, adding that the department is in full compliance with the new rules.
The law also cuts off data sharing with federal and out-of-state agencies, a change that impacts College Place’s previous data-sharing partnerships with neighboring border communities in Oregon and Idaho.
Funding for the cameras comes from a Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority Grant, which expires in November. There has been no decision to continue the program, though Tomaras noted that CPPD has seen a 72 percent reduction in auto thefts since the cameras were originally installed.
File photo of Flock Safety license plate reader cameras
