Last week, someone asked on X about a camera that had been erected on Linder Rd. in Eagle. I drove by and confirmed that there was indeed an automatic license plate reader (ALPR) installed on the northbound side of Linder, just south of Beacon Light Rd.
The Ada County Highway District (ACHD) is currently engaged in construction on Linder Rd., so I emailed that agency first. Its representative said the device was not theirs. Rather than going through a public records request process with the City of Eagle or ACHD, I figured I’d ask Eagle Police Chief Travis Ruby himself. He was already scheduled to speak at the Eagle Chamber of Commerce’s monthly luncheon on the topic of ALPRs, so it was a perfect opportunity.
Travis Ruby has served as Eagle’s police chief since January 2024 and has been an Ada County Sheriff’s deputy for 26 years. During that time, he has served in numerous roles, including at the Ada County Jail and Ada County Courthouse, as a patrol officer and school resource officer in Eagle, and in major-crimes investigations. Ruby served in the Marine Corps before beginning his law enforcement career.
Along with Star and Kuna, Eagle contracts with the Ada County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) for law enforcement services. Sheriff’s deputies are assigned as full-time police officers in Eagle, and the Eagle City Council retains jurisdiction over the police department. However, Chief Ruby explained that ALPRs are operated exclusively by the ACSO.
Chief Ruby has an easygoing manner and sees community engagement as one of his roles as chief of police. He spoke candidly about ALPRs and answered numerous questions about how they are used by the sheriff’s office. Only three employees have direct access to the ALPR system. There is no automatic sharing with other law enforcement agencies, including those under federal authority or agencies in other states. All use is strictly audited, and deputies can only use the system to investigate crimes, automobile crashes, and cases involving missing or endangered citizens.
Those provisions governing ALPR usage were mandated by the Legislature in 2025 via Senate Bill 1180. The law specifically bars ALPRs from being used for traffic infractions, traffic-flow analysis, or anything else not related to law enforcement purposes.
Chief Ruby passed out a copy of ACSO’s FAQ regarding ALPR usage, which is also available online here. The FAQ explains that ACSO contracts with Axon, one of the three major ALPR manufacturers, along with Flock Safety and Motorola’s Vigilant line. It notes that, by contracting with Axon, ACSO retains full control over collected data as well as strict control over who has access to it. ACSO has about twenty units deployed throughout the county and has a standing policy to purge data after 60 days.
ALPRs are also covered in the ACSO policy manual, starting at the bottom of page 88.
One thing Ruby couldn’t confirm was whether the ALPR on Linder Rd. was specifically operated by the ACSO, though by implication, that seems to be the case. He says the office has a policy of not discussing specific locations out of concern that criminals will actively avoid those areas. However, it seems logical that an ALPR meant to be used for criminal investigations might be placed at the outskirts of the city, where bad guys might drive by on their way in or out of town.
Chief Ruby was also candid about the need for privacy, noting that there’s a reason he lives in Idaho and not California. He explained that strict guardrails on the use of tools such as ALPRs are necessary, not only for today but for the future as well.
When it comes to technology, there is no putting the genie back in the bottle. We are being surveilled everywhere now, via our mobile phones, smart doorbells, private camera systems, and more. Protecting our privacy will require strict statutes and policies governing how that data is used.
What do you think? Does ACSO’s policy regarding ALPRs make you feel comfortable driving through Ada County?
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About Brian Almon
Brian Almon is the Editor of the Gem State Chronicle. He also serves as Chairman of the District 14 Republican Party and is a trustee of the Eagle Public Library Board. He lives with his wife and six children in Eagle.
