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MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS UPDATE | Fridley Public Safety Responds to Questions About License-Plate Readers and Police Drones
The city has published policies and transparency resources following concerns raised during a July City Council meeting.
FRIDLEY, MN (August 26, 2026) Fridley Public Safety Director Ryan George has issued a public response to concerns about the city’s use of automated license-plate readers and police drones.
According to the City of Fridley, the response followed questions and concerns raised during the July 27 City Council meeting. The statement was published August 19 alongside department policies and additional public information about the two technologies.
Automated license-plate readers, commonly known as ALPRs, capture license-plate information and associated vehicle images. Law enforcement agencies use the information to identify vehicles connected to investigations, stolen-vehicle reports and public-safety alerts.
Fridley’s program previously attracted attention because the city worked with participating private-property owners to install readers at several residential and commercial properties. MinneapoliMedia reported on the program in August 2025.
The city’s current information page also includes separate policies governing police drone operations. Fridley says drones may be deployed only under circumstances allowed by Minnesota law unless officers obtain a judge-signed warrant.
The city says police drones are not equipped with facial-recognition technology and may not be used to collect information at public protests or demonstrations without a warrant. Each flight must be documented, and footage without evidentiary value is deleted within seven days, as required by state law.
Those safeguards apply specifically to the drone program and should not be confused with the separate rules governing license-plate-reader information.
Fridley has made its ALPR General Order 429 and Drone General Order 328 available for public review. The city’s online resource page also provides information about data practices and public transparency.
The published material confirms that Director George responded to the July concerns. Residents seeking the precise language of his response or the operational rules for either system should review the city’s original documents.
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