ALPR ABUSE ARCHIVE

Agency/system incident

Authorities’ allegations and reported case history are preserved alongside source provenance.

CA-ATHERTON-PLATE-MISREAD-2021-04

Agency/system incident

An ALPR misread a plate partially obscured by dirt and officers detained the driver at gunpoint.

1 linked source Last verified August 25, 2026

//Person

Name
Agency/system incident
Role title
ALPR enforcement incident
Role type
System / investigative misuse or error
Agency
Atherton Police Department
City
Atherton
County
San Mateo
State
California

//Current status

Status
Documented ALPR Error / Wrongful Stop
Employment outcome
Unknown
Arrest date
Unknown
Jail
Unknown
Case-status notes
Unknown

//Alleged conduct and technology

Why this case is in the database
An ALPR misread a plate partially obscured by dirt and officers detained the driver at gunpoint.
Technology type
Automated License Plate Reader
Reported vendor
Unspecified
Reported product
Unknown
Misuse start
Unknown
Misuse end
Unknown
Known alleged search count
Unknown
Known duration
Unknown
Plate misreadWrongful armed detention

//Discovery and investigation

Discovery method
Public reporting / records / litigation
Investigating agency
Unknown
ALPR vendor
Unspecified
Known charge count
Unknown
Charges
Unknown

//Timeline

August 12, 2026
Public reporting / records / litigation
August 12, 2026
Documented ALPR Error / Wrongful Stop
August 12, 2026
Arrested / Charged

//Sources

Secondary research database citing original reporting/public records

The IJ Database of ALPR Abuse

Institute for Justice · August 12, 2026
Last verified August 25, 2026