Ramsey County
County record. Includes every city and agency within Ramsey County.
Technology presence
What these categories mean
- ALPR
- Automated license plate readers (ALPR): camera systems that automatically capture, read, and log vehicle license plates with location and time, producing a searchable record of vehicle movements.
- Fixed cameras & RTCC
- Agency-operated fixed video cameras and the real-time crime centers (RTCC) that aggregate live and recorded feeds for monitoring. Extends the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Atlas, which enumerates real-time crime centers and camera registries but not standalone fixed-camera estates.
- Face recognition
- Software that matches faces in images or video against a reference database to identify or verify individuals.
- Drones / UAS
- Uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), commonly called drones, operated by an agency for overhead observation, imaging, or sensing.
- Gunshot detection
- Networks of acoustic sensors that detect and locate suspected gunfire and alert an agency.
- Body-worn & dashcam
- Officer body-worn and in-vehicle dashboard cameras that record encounters; public access to the footage is frequently restricted.
- Doorbell & camera registry
- Programs that give an agency access to privately owned camera footage: doorbell-camera partnerships, citizen camera registries, and private-camera integration platforms.
- Cell-site simulators
- Devices that mimic cell towers to locate or identify nearby mobile phones. They are often called Stingrays, or IMSI catchers after the international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) number that identifies each phone on a network. Adjacent: communications surveillance outside the visual/sensor core.
- Predictive policing
- Software that forecasts where crime may occur or who may be involved, to direct policing. Adjacent: analytics rather than a sensing deployment.
- Social-media monitoring
- Tools that collect and analyze public social-media activity for an agency. Adjacent: open-source/communications monitoring outside the visual/sensor core.
The record, by agency
Roseville Police Department
The Roseville Police Department uses automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): MN Department of Public Safety
The Roseville Police Department operated drones as of 2023.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Minnesota Department of Public Safety
The Roseville Police Department has 63 Panasonic body-worn cameras, according to a 2020 audit.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): City of RosevilleLynn Lembcke ConsultingMinn. Legislature - Legislative Commission on Data Practices
White Bear Lake Police Department
The White Bear Lake Police Department uses automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): MN Department of Public Safety
The White Bear Lake Police Department operated drones as of 2023.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Minnesota Department of Public Safety
The White Bear Lake Police Department uses Motorola body-worn cameras, according to a 2023 audit.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): City of White Bear Lake - White Bear Lake Police DepartmentMinnesota Security Consortium (MNSec)
Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport Police
The Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport Police uses automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): MN Department of Public Safety
Vadnais Heights Police Department
The Vadnais Heights Police Department is installing four automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Vainais Heights Press
Minnesota Department of Public Safety - Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement has nine Axon body-worn cameras, according to a 2024 audit.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Lynn Lembcke ConsultingMinn. Dept. of Public Safety - Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division
Saint Paul Police Department
The Saint Paul Police Department uses drones. The agency spent $100,00 on drones and related equipment, according to a 2023 report by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Pioneer PressDrone LifeSaint Paul Police Department
Ramsey County Sheriff's Office
The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office spent $17,723.05 on its unmanned aerial vehicle program in 2023 and flew a drone 333 times without a warrant that year.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Minnesota Department of Public SafetyMinnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office has 409 Axon body-worn cameras, according to a 2024 audit.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Lynn Lembcke ConsultingRamsey County - Ramsey County Sheriff's Office
The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office scanned 10,514 license plates in 2019 using Vigilant Solutions automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): MuckRockMinnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension spent $9,000 on its unmanned aerial vehicle program in 2023. The agency flew a drone 27 times without a warrant that year.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Minnesota Department of Public SafetyMinnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension acquired cell-site simulator technology in 2012, according data compiled by Kevin Collier for Vocativ.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): VocativKevin CollierBuzzfeed News
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension's Minnesota Fusion Center uses Clearview AI face recognition software.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Buzzfeed News
Minnesota State Patrol
The Minnesota State Patrol spent $124,712.87 on its unmanned aerial vehicle program in 2023 and flew a drone 511 times without a warrant that year.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Minnesota Department of Public SafetyMinnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
The Minnesota State Patrol has 816 Axon body-worn cameras, according to a 2024 audit.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Lynn Lembcke ConsultingMinn. Dept. of Public Safety - Minn. State Patrol
The Minnesota State Patrol disclosed to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension that it uses automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Minnesota Bureau of Criminal ApprehensionLaw Enforcement Audit and Data Services
New Brighton Department of Public Safety
The New Brighton Department of Public Safety operated drones as of 2023.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Minnesota Department of Public Safety
The New Brighton Department of Public Safety has access to other agencies' automated license plate reader data through Vigilant Solutions.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): MuckRockMinnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
North Saint Paul Police Department
The North St. Paul Police Department spent $19,300.06 on its unmanned aerial vehicle program in 2023 and flew a drone 12 times without a warrant that year.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Minnesota Department of Public SafetyMinnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
The North Saint Paul Police Department disclosed to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension that it uses automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
Maplewood Public Safety
The Maplewood Public Safety operated drones as of 2023.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Minnesota Deptartment of Natural Resources Enforcement Division
The Minnesota Deptartment of Natural Resources Enforcement Division has 211 Axon body-worn cameras, according to a 2024 audit.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Lynn Lembcke ConsultingMinn. Dept. of Natural Resources - Division of EnforcementMinn. Legislature - Legislative Commission on Data Practices
Mounds View Police Department
The Mounds View Police Department has 13 WatchGuard body-worn cameras, according to a 2024 audit.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): City of Mounds View - Mounds View Police DepartmentLynn Lembcke Consulting
The Mounds View Police Department scanned 62,302 license plates in 2019 using Vigilant Solutions automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): MuckRockMinnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
St. Paul Police Department
The St. Paul Police Department has 743 Axon body-worn cameras, according to a 2023 audit.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): City of Saint Paul - St. Paul Police DepartmentLocal Government Information Systems (LOGIS)City of Saint Paul - St. Paul Police DepartmentLocal Government Information Systems (LOGIS)Minn. Legislature - Legislative Commission on Data Practices
The St. Paul Police Department had conducted 40 face recognition searches using the Clearview AI system as of February 2020.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Buzzfeed News
The St. Paul Police Department began using BriefCam video analytics software in January 2020.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): KARE
The St. Paul Police Department disclosed to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension that it uses automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Minnesota Bureau of Criminal ApprehensionBackbone
Maplewood Police Department
The Maplewood Police Department has 59 Axon body-worn cameras, according to a 2023 audit.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): City of Maplewoood - Maplewood Police DepartmentLynn Lembcke ConsultingMinn. Legislature - Legislative Commission on Data PracticesOffice of the State AuditorMinn. Legislature - Legislative Commission on Data Practices
The Maplewood Police Department disclosed to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension that it uses automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
New Brighton Police Department
The New Brighton Police Department has 32 Panasonic body-worn cameras, according to a 2023 audit.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): City of New Brighton - New Brighton Police DepartmentLynn Lembcke ConsultingMinn. Legislature - Legislative Commission on Data Practices
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has an unmanned aerial vehicle program, according to a 2021 report from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
Minnesota Department of Public Safety
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety purchased an Octasic cell site simulator in February 2021.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Minnesota
Minnesota Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services uses face recognition but does not run external face recognition searches.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Electronic Frontier Foundation
Source: EFF Atlas of Surveillance (Electronic Frontier Foundation & University of Nevada, Reno — Reynolds School of Journalism) · CC BY 4.0 · retrieved July 2026