El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells issued a statement today calling California Attorney General Rob Bonta's lawsuit against the city for sharing automated license plate reader data "political retaliation against a conservative city."
The AG's Office sued El Cajon on Friday for allegedly violating state law by sharing the data with federal authorities and law enforcement officials in more than two dozen other states. The suit filed in San Diego Superior Court alleges that El Cajon has flouted Senate Bill 34, a 2015 law prohibiting ALPR- data sharing with out-of-state law enforcement agencies despite the California Department of Justice contacting El Cajon's police chief over the issue.
"Let's be clear — this is nothing more than a political stunt and an attempt to bully a conservative city for standing up for public safety," Wells said in his written statement. "For years, Sacramento has looked for ways to punish cities like ours because we refuse to fall in line with their ideology. They've chosen politics over people, and now they're using the courts to intimidate those of us who disagree with them.
"I make no apologies for protecting our residents," Wells continued. "The people of El Cajon expect their leaders to keep them safe, not to bow to the latest political agenda coming out of the Capitol. California's priorities have become backwards — too often putting criminals before law- abiding citizens. I refuse to play a part in that."
Bonta issued a statement Friday saying the practice of sharing the data raises privacy concerns and could be used to track immigrants, women who might travel to California for reproductive care, or protesters.
Wells disagreed.
"Our city's actions have always been guided by one simple principle: the safety and security of the people we serve. Sharing information with trusted law enforcement partners is a cornerstone of effective policing, and we will not apologize for cooperating with agencies that help us catch criminals, prevent crime, and protect innocent lives," Wells said. "Instead of attacking cities that are doing their job, the attorney general should focus on the growing crime, homelessness, and lawlessness plaguing our state."
Along with the city, El Cajon's police department and its police chief, Jeremiah Larson, are named as defendants.
The state AG's Office said that as of the lawsuit's filing, the El Cajon Police Department was providing access to ALPR data to law enforcement agencies in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
