San Francisco police keep license plate photos longer than other Bay Area cities

San Francisco's police department continues to retain license plate photos from nearly 500 Flock surveillance cameras for 30 days, a longer period than other Bay Area cities, Mission Local reported. The cameras capture license plate data and physical details of every passing car, creating a searchable database for law enforcement across California.

The city's new policy, announced by Mayor Daniel Lurie and effective October 5, 2026, shortened the retention period from one year to 30 days. However, this is still longer than the 30-day deletion policies in San Jose, Oakland, and South San Francisco, and far exceeds Flock's own recommendation of deleting data after one week.

The 2023 city ordinance approved by San Francisco supervisors mandates these retention limits, but the police department has said it is bound by this law. The supervisors have the authority to amend the ordinance if they choose.

The debate around the policy balances public safety interests against privacy concerns. Flock cameras enable real-time vehicle tracking and historical searches, which some see as valuable for law enforcement, while others raise questions about surveillance and data privacy.

What we're watching: Whether San Francisco supervisors will revisit the ordinance to further reduce data retention or adjust policies in response to privacy advocates and public feedback.