Rhode Island License Plate Reader Review Nears Conclusion Amid Exclusion Claims
Opponents of Flock automated license plate readers in Rhode Island, including advocacy groups and the Office of the Public Defender, claim they were excluded from a state-led policy review. The review, ordered by Governor McKee amid municipal resistance and privacy…
Providence New Bedford, RI, October 15, 2026 —
Opponents of Flock automated license plate readers in Rhode Island say they were excluded from a state-led review of policies for the technology. The review, ordered by Gov. McKee, is nearing its conclusion as a 60-day pause on new installations expires and new policies are expected soon.
The critics include advocacy groups and the Office of the Public Defender, according to the information available about the dispute. Their claim raises questions about who was involved in the review, but details about the groups’ specific concerns, their efforts to participate or the state’s response were not provided.
The review was ordered amid municipal resistance and privacy concerns. The available information does not identify the municipalities involved or explain the reasons behind their resistance. It also does not specify what privacy issues were raised, which state officials conducted the review or what policies are under consideration.
The 60-day pause applies to new installations, and its expiration is approaching as the review concludes. The date the pause began, the date it ends and whether any installations are planned after it expires were not provided. No findings or recommendations from the review have been announced in the information available.
New policies are expected soon, but their timing and contents remain unspecified. It is also unclear whether the state plans to address the opponents’ exclusion claims in the forthcoming policies. The information provided does not detail how existing license plate readers are governed or what rules, if any, will apply to their use under the new policies.
The dispute centers on a state policy review taking place against a backdrop of local resistance and privacy concerns. The review’s conclusions and the state’s response to critics’ claims will help clarify what changes, if any, follow the pause on new installations.
Story summarized from the original created by Christopher Shea on rhodeislandcurrent.com, see more information here.
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