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License-plate readers · Lake County

Lake County

Program documented, current use unconfirmed · 2 agencies documented

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Lake County Sheriff's Department

Status
Program documented, current use unconfirmed
Vendors
Vendor not named in source
Cameras
Count not documented
Fox News (Sept. 2021) reported more than 70 plate-reading cameras feeding police in Lake County; it did not say who owns them.
  1. Sept. 2021 Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. said plate readers helped deputies find stolen vehicles and people wanted on warrants; Fox News reported that more than 70 such cameras were feeding police in Lake County. (Fox News, Sept. 23, 2021)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Only a 2021 source found; vendor, ownership and current use not confirmed.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Gary Police Department

Status
Program documented, current use unconfirmed
Vendors
Vendor not named in source
Cameras
170
170 cameras citywide in July 2024: 73 fixed, the rest in squad cars (Capital B Gary). Vendor not named.
  1. July 15, 2024 Gary police announced $264,000 in federal Community Project Funding for stationary and mobile plate readers. (Capital B Gary, July 15, 2024)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Nothing found after July 2024; NWI Times coverage is paywalled.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Statewide

  1. 2015 Then-Sen. Jim Smith (R-Clarksville) filed a bill to set statewide plate-reader rules, including purging data after 30 days absent a warrant or ongoing investigation. Prosecutors and the state police chiefs' association opposed it, and it died in committee without a vote. (Indiana Capital Chronicle, Jan. 2023)
  2. Feb. 2026 Gov. Mike Braun signed House Enrolled Act 1150 in February 2026. Section 3 of the act creates IC 32-25.5-3.8, effective July 1, 2026. Under it, a homeowners association may not install, maintain or operate an automated license plate reader. It may allow one on its property only if a law enforcement agency installs it or has it installed, only law enforcement can reach the images and data, and the association cannot see them. The law does not regulate how police use the readers. (Indiana General Assembly (mirrored by billtexts), 2026; The Indiana Citizen, Aug. 13, 2026; Indiana Capital Chronicle, Aug. 24, 2026)
  3. Aug. 2026 The Indiana Capital Chronicle reported that the HOA law is the state's only plate-reader restriction. Rep. Jim Pressel (R-Rolling Prairie) said he was drafting a bill for the session that convenes in January setting minimum standards for police use, likely including agency audits of searches, yearly Indiana State Police audits, retention limits and rules on sharing with outside agencies. Sen. Aaron Freeman (R-Indianapolis) said he wants a broad review of plate-reader use. Gov. Braun's press secretary said "Guardrails are important and should be considered anytime personal information is involved." (Indiana Capital Chronicle, Aug. 24, 2026; Mirror Indy, Aug. 26, 2026)
  4. Aug. 2026 Indiana State Police applied for a U.S. Justice Department grant (FY2026 program for agencies in ICE's 287(g) program) listing $29,069,985 in its report to the State Budget Committee ($30,269,985 in a revised budget). The planned purchases include 20 license-plate reader camera systems for $300,000. The committee did not review the request in advance; at an August meeting Rep. Ed DeLaney's motion to put it on the review agenda failed along party lines. The application was pending as of Sept. 8, 2026. (Indiana Capital Chronicle, Sept. 9, 2026; Mirror Indy, Sept. 9, 2026)
  5. Aug. 10, 2026 Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith said in his online video series that he does not want government in "the business of mass surveillance" and has been talking with lawmakers about limits on police use of plate-reader tools; he did not back specific proposals or call for ending the technology. (The Indiana Citizen, Aug. 13, 2026)

State agencies

Indiana State Police

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Motorola Solutions
Cameras
Count not documented
In early 2023 ISP had 47 fixed cameras, mostly in or near Indianapolis, and had stopped using vehicle-mounted cameras. No current count found.
Contract
Motorola Solutions: term · In early 2023 the Indiana Department of Administration said the Vigilant Solutions (Motorola Solutions) system had cost more than $250,000 since the prior August. No contract document found. (Indiana Capital Chronicle, Jan. 2023)
  1. Jan. 2023 ISP said it had used plate readers for more than a decade, scanning about one million plates a month; its 2015 operating procedure keeps image data 30 days, requires reasonable suspicion for a query, and allows sharing with agencies that also show reasonable suspicion. (Indiana Capital Chronicle, Jan. 2023)
  2. Aug. 2026 ISP said troopers must enter a dispatch or case number for every search and that district investigative commanders audit records at their discretion. (Indiana Capital Chronicle, Aug. 24, 2026)
  3. Sept. 2026 ISP's federal grant application said plate-reader data is generally purged after 30 days unless kept in an investigative file, and that the Indiana Intelligence Fusion Center may share information with authorized personnel and must keep an audit trail. The application seeks 20 more plate-reader systems ($300,000); it was pending as of Sept. 8, 2026. (Indiana Capital Chronicle, Sept. 9, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Vendor is from 2023 reporting; no newer vendor or contract record found. Indiana Intelligence Fusion Center (run by ISP) is covered here rather than as a separate agency.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Indiana Department of Correction

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Vendor not named in source
Cameras
Count not documented
No count. Reported as using plate-reader data; not known whether it owns cameras.
  1. Aug. 2026 IDOC uses plate-reader data to find escapees and parolees who violate supervision terms, the Indiana Capital Chronicle reported. (Indiana Capital Chronicle, Aug. 24, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • No contract or vendor found.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Indiana Department of Transportation

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Vendor not named in source
Cameras
Count not documented
No count. Reported as accessing plate data; not known whether it owns cameras.
  1. Aug. 2026 According to the Indiana Capital Chronicle, INDOT uses plate-reader data to keep watch on toll operations, work zones and safety zones. (Indiana Capital Chronicle, Aug. 24, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • No INDOT right-of-way permit policy for plate-reader cameras was found. An undated Greenfield Daily Reporter story on McCordsville said Flock handles permitting with INDOT for cameras it installs (in261029-a-dailyreporter-mccordsville).

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.