El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells declared that the city will not “fall in line” with a lawsuit filed Friday by California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
The lawsuit surrounds the City of El Cajon’s refusal to comply with state law by sharing license plate data with federal and out-of-state law enforcement agencies. According to state law, law enforcement agencies may not share data from Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) systems, the filing argues, as the data’s use is “beyond the reach of California’s oversight and regulation.”
Wells said the is lawsuit “nothing more than a political stunt and an attempt to bully a conservative city for standing up for public safety.”
“I make no apologies for protecting our residents. The people of El Cajon expect their leaders to keep them safe, not to bow to the latest political agenda coming out of the Capitol,” the mayor added. “California’s priorities have become backwards — too often putting criminals before law-abiding citizens. I refuse to play a part in that.”
Wells reiterated the city’s value of keeping its residents safe, explaining, “Sharing information with trusted law enforcement partners is a cornerstone of effective policing, and we will not apologize for cooperating with agencies that help us catch criminals, prevent crime, and protect innocent lives. Instead of attacking cities that are doing their job, the Attorney General should focus on the growing crime, homelessness, and lawlessness plaguing our state.”
Bonta said in a statement upon filing the lawsuit that El Cajon has “knowingly and repeatedly refused to comply with state law, jeopardizing the privacy and safety of individuals in its community.”
