As a Washington County resident, I don’t want constant surveillance to become a normal part of living here.

Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) cameras are installed throughout our communities, collecting information about where our vehicles are and when they pass certain locations. Regardless of the intention behind these systems, I believe residents deserve a meaningful say in whether this kind of surveillance belongs in our community—and clear answers about where the data goes, how long it is kept, and who can access it.

Southern Utah is a place where many of us value freedom, privacy, and a strong sense of community. We should be extremely thoughtful about introducing technology that has the ability to track the everyday movements of ordinary people who are not suspected of any crime.

I’m asking leaders in St. George and throughout Washington County to remove existing ALPR cameras and related surveillance equipment and establish clear policies preventing their future installation without meaningful public oversight and consent.

This isn’t about being against public safety. It’s about deciding what kind of community we want to live in—and making sure efforts to keep us safe don’t come at the expense of the privacy and freedoms we value.

If you believe Washington County residents deserve a voice in how surveillance technology is used in our communities, please sign and help us ask our local leaders to protect our privacy.