Placer sheriff blocked license plate alerts to Auburn cops, grand jury says
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office blocked the Auburn Police Department from receiving real-time alerts from the Sheriff’s Office’s automated license plate reader cameras for about two years, a decision a Placer County civil grand jury found increased risks to public safety and reflected longstanding tensions between the two agencies.
The citizen-led investigative panel found in its report released Tuesday that the Sheriff’s Office intentionally revoked Auburn’s access to “real-time notifications and alerts” from its automated license plate reader system. The report said the lack of access prevented officers from monitoring potentially dangerous vehicles before they entered the city.
The grand jury said the agencies have “historically been at odds with one another,” especially over jurisdictional boundaries, and concluded the restriction forced Auburn officers to respond to dangerous vehicles after they entered the city instead of preparing for them in advance.
According to the report, the Sheriff’s Office restored Auburn’s access to the real-time alerts after the grand jury began investigating the issue.
The report said the lack of information sharing slowed response times and increased the likelihood of dangerous situations, including vehicle pursuits.
For example, when a stolen vehicle traveled through unincorporated Placer County toward Auburn, Auburn police would not know about it until the vehicle passed one of the department’s own Flock cameras inside city limits.
“Officers were forced to be only responsive with their actions, resulting in a vehicle chase, as they were deprived of the opportunity to be proactive due to a lack of information sharing,” the report said. “When full ALPR data system access is permitted, those same APD officers receive alerts about that stolen vehicle as they pass through unincorporated Placer County, and they can be prepared and waiting once that vehicle enters the city, thereby potentially avoiding a vehicle chase.”
The grand jury found the Sheriff’s Office intentionally removed Auburn’s access because of a belief that Auburn officers were operating outside their jurisdiction. However, the report also said the agencies have “historically been at odds with one another,” particularly over jurisdictional boundaries, and described the access restriction as one of several signs of a strained relationship.
The grand jury also found Auburn police contributed to the strained relationship by sometimes failing to notify the Sheriff’s Office when officers worked outside city limits, not sharing automated vehicle locator data and occasionally responding to Sheriff’s Office calls without being requested.
The report also detailed other examples of friction between the agencies. It said Sheriff’s Office deputies who responded to assist Auburn officers sometimes remained in their patrol vehicles instead of helping at scenes.
The investigation also found that some Sheriff’s Office deputies stopped and questioned Auburn officers while they were refueling their patrol vehicles or getting food outside city limits. According to the report, the deputies ended the monitoring once the officers returned to Auburn.
“Undertaking such activities, without actually supporting an allied agency, is not protecting the public from harm, is not utilizing county resources effectively, and is not providing assistance to fellow law enforcement personnel,” the report said.
The grand jury noted this is not the first time the Sheriff’s Office has experienced conflicts with another law enforcement agency.
According to the report, previous jurisdictional disputes between the Placer County Sheriff’s Office and the California Highway Patrol led the agencies to create a memorandum of understanding outlining how they would handle overlapping jurisdictions. The grand jury recommended the Sheriff’s Office and Auburn Police Department establish a similar agreement.
The grand jury also recommended the agencies share real-time license plate reader and vehicle location data, create a joint task force to improve coordination and adopt formal policies governing interagency operations.
In a joint statement, the Sheriff’s Office and Auburn Police Department thanked the grand jury for its work reviewing the matter.
The agencies said they share the same goal of providing public safety to Auburn and Placer County residents.
“As with any long-standing partnership, there are opportunities to improve communication and collaboration,” the statement said. “Both agencies remain committed to working together professionally and constructively to ensure our community continues to receive the high level of service it expects and deserves.”
Under state law, Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo, Auburn Police Chief Bryan Morrison, Auburn Mayor Kelley Davis and the Auburn City Council must submit written responses to the grand jury’s findings and recommendations later this year. Woo, Morrison and Davis must respond by Aug. 31, while the City Council’s response is due Sept. 28.
