# Los Angeles Council Reconsiders LAPD AI Surveillance Pilot

On October 6, 2026, the Los Angeles City Council voted 10–4 to overturn approval of an LAPD pilot installing AI-enabled license plate readers on streetlights. The proposal was referred to the Public Safety Committee, with review likely on October 20, before returning to the full council. The action is separate from LAPD’s ten-year, $235 million Axon agreement for body-worn cameras, Tasers, cloud video storage, and AI-assisted report writing, which the council said it lacks authority to stop. For companies pursuing municipal public-safety technology work, the review highlights the procurement significance of data governance and public oversight.

- The pilot remains under review; the Public Safety Committee is expected to consider it on October 20, 2026, with further full-council consideration afterward.
- Companies proposing surveillance or police technology should clearly address data ownership, sharing, retention, auditability, and limits on searches and use—the specific issues identified as areas for closer scrutiny.
- The separate Axon agreement shows that large, multi-product public-safety contracts may proceed even as related technology pilots face additional review; bidders should distinguish pilot approvals from existing contract authorities and scope.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Public Safety, Information Technology
**Topics:** Artificial Intelligence
**Published:** October 07, 2026

### Government Entities
- Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)
- Los Angeles City Council
- Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners
- Los Angeles Police Department Inspector General's Office

### Vendors
- Axon Enterprise (prime contractor)
- Flock Safety (incumbent)
- Motorola (incumbent)

### Sources
- [LAPD's $235-million deal with license plate reader company put on hold by City Council

https://t.co/TJkXhMJliH](https://x.com/latimes/status/2107657163191533620) - twitter-sled