July 2026 unified-production update
A February 2025 email confirms ACSO recognized the 30-day versus one-year conflict before Board approval. Flock said one-year cloud retention would cost extra; no produced record shows the final implementation decision.
Executive summary
Three records use materially different retention language. The Flock contract states a standard rolling 30-day retention period. The Sheriff’s Office written response says captured license-plate images are retained for 30 days by default and can be retained longer when flagged. Policy 473 says ALPR data downloaded to the server should be stored for a minimum of one year.
The records do not reconcile the difference
It is possible that the documents refer to different storage layers or practices, but that explanation is not stated in the released records. The discrepancy remains an open question.
Policy 473
Policy 473 covers administration, operations, retention, accountability, releasing data, and training. It identifies the Administrative Captain as responsible for data retention and access. It also says ALPR use is restricted to official law-enforcement business.
Section 473.4 states that reasonable suspicion or probable cause is not required before using an ALPR. It requires approved training before a member operates equipment or accesses data, and it directs deputies to verify alerts through CLETS when practicable before taking action based solely on an alert.
Public record Policy 473 operations
Policy page 419, sections 473.4 and 473.5.
Open source recordRetention comparison
| Record | Language | What it establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Flock contract | Standard retention is a rolling 30-day basis unless otherwise stated on the order form. | Vendor cloud default in the executed agreement. |
| Agency response | Captured license-plate images are retained for 30 days by default; flagged records can be retained longer. | Agency’s stated current practice. |
| Policy 473 | ALPR data downloaded to the server should be stored for a minimum of one year. | Published policy language for server data. |
Accountability and audits
Policy 473 requires login/password-protected access capable of documenting access by name, date, and time. It says system audits should be conducted on a regular basis. The CPRA response states that Flock provides Network Audit, Organizational Audit, and Event Log records, but the first two were withheld as investigatory records.
Questions for follow-up
- What system is meant by “the server” in Policy 473?
- Is any copy retained by Amador County after deletion from Flock’s cloud?
- When was the minimum-one-year language adopted, and was it intended to override the 30-day contract default?
- What is the actual automated purge configuration currently applied to each camera and account?
Revision history
- Standardized evidence labels and added print, permanent-link, citation, and revision-history tools.