King County
County record. Includes every city and agency within King 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
Seattle Police Department
The Seattle Police Department has operated a real-time crime center in its headquarters since 2015, funded with asset forfeiture dunds and a $400,000 federal grant. The RTCC provides analyzts with a wall of monitors that monitors criminal activity in real time. The department has also used predictive policing to identify potential crime hotspots. The analysts at the RTCC gather information collected from 911 dispatch calls, SeaStat data, radio traffic, and vehicle data, among other surveillance systems and databases.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): City of Seattle's WebsiteKOMO NewsGeekwire
The Seattle Police Department has used Brinc drones as of 2023.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): GeekWirewww.reuters.com
The Seattle Police Department uses Axon body-worn cameras
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Seattle Police DepartmentSeattle Police DepartmentKIRO 7 News
The Seattle Police Department uses automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Seattle Police DepartmentSeattle Police Department
The Seattle Police Department operates a Fusus camera registry.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Seattle Police Department
Des Moines Police Department
The Des Moines Police Department uses Flock Safety automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): The Urbanist
The Des Moines Police Department uses body-worn cameras.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Des Moines Police DepartmentThe Waterland BlogDes Moines Police Facebook page
The Des Moines Police Department maintains a voluntary registry of private and personal surveillance cameras through Motorola Solutions' CityProtect platform.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): CityProtect
Clyde Hill Police Department
The Clyde Hill Police Department uses Flock Safety automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): The Urbanist
Pacific Police Department
The Pacific Police Department uses Flock Safety automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): The Urbanist
Yarrow Point Police Department
The Yarrow Point Police Department uses Flock Safety automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): The Urbanist
Normandy Park Police Department
The Normandy Park Police Department uses Flock Safety automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Sumner, WAKOMO
King County Sheriff's Office
The King County Sheriff's Office uses Flock Safety automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Sumner, WA
King County's Sherriff's Office uses drone technology for search and rescue operations but do not own their own equipment.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): KIRO 7 NewsMuckRock
Black Diamond Police Department
The Black Diamond Police Department uses Flock Safety automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Sumner, WACourier Herald
The Black Diamond Police Department has been using body-worn cameras since December 2021.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Courier Herald
Federal Way Police Department
The Federal Way Police Department uses Flock Safety automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Sumner, WA
Federal Way Police Department acquired body-worn cameras in 2021.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Federal Way Mirror
Hunts Point Police Department
The Hunts Point Police Department uses Flock Safety automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Sumner, WA
Newcastle Police Department
The Newcastle Police Department uses Flock Safety automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Sumner, WA
Port of Seattle Police Department
The Port of Seattle Police Department uses Flock Safety automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Sumner, WA
SeaTac Police Department
The Sea Tac Police Department uses Flock Safety automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Sumner, WA
Kent Police Department
As of April 2024, the Kent Police Department operates 12 Flock Safety automated license plate readers. The agency stores ALPR data for 30 days.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Flock SafetyThe News & ObserverThe News & Observer
The Kent Police Departmentuses Vintra software to analyze video, according to a March 2023 report.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Los Angeles Times
The Kent Police Department operates six DJI drones, according to data compiled by the Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard Collegemynorthwest.comwww.kentwa.gov
The Kent Police Department began using 105 Axon body-worn cameras in October 2019.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Kent Reporter
The Kent Police Department operates a camera registry through its SafeCam Program. It also accepts registrations through Motorola Solutions' CityProtect platform.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Kent Police DepartmentCityProtect
Tukwila Police Department
As of April 2024, the Tukwila Police Department operates 27 Flock Safety automated license plate readers. The agency stores ALPR data for 30 days.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Flock SafetyThe News & ObserverThe News & Observer
Tukwila Police Department deployed body-worn cameras department-wide in 2017.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Tukwila Police Department
The Tukwila Police Department operates two DJI drones as of 2017, according to data compiled by the Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard Collegewww.faa.govwww.policeone.com
Medina Police Department
As of April 2024, the Medina Police Department operates 15 Flock Safety automated license plate readers. The agency stores ALPR data for 30 days.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Flock SafetyThe News & ObserverThe News & Observer
Bellevue Police Department
The Bellevue Police Department uses Brinc drones.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Smart Cities
Kirkland Police Department
The Kirkland Police Department began using Axon body-worn cameras in 2022.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): City of KirklandCity of Kirkland
Auburn Police Department
The Auburn Police Department signed a contract with Axon for body-worn cameras in 2022, but has been using BWCs since at least 2019.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): KIRO7 NewsAuburn Reporter
The Auburn Police Department has a camera registry program.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Auburn Examiner
The Auburn Police Department operates one 3DR Solo drone as of 2017, according to data compiled by the Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard Collegewww.kiro7.com
The Auburn Police Department has been using automated license plate readers since at least 2008.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Auburn Reporter
Enumclaw Police Department
The Enumclaw Police Department planned to launch a body-worn camera program in fall 2022.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Courier Herald
Mercer Island Police Department
The Mercer Island Police Department purchased automated license plate readers for three vehicles July 2020.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Mercer Island Reporter
Washington Department of Licensing
The Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) does not give external entities direct access to its face recognition system. However, DOL will run photos through face recognition for law enforcement “with a court order to determine whether the person has been issued a driver license or ID under a different name."
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Electronic Frontier Foundation
U.S. Customs and Border Protection - Sea-Tac Airport
The Sea-Tac Airport is one of 18 airports where Customs and Border Protection is using face recognition technology as of March 2019. An executive order signed by Pres. Trump in 2019 requires Customs and Border Protection to install face recognition technology at the United States' top 20 airports by 2021.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): BuzzfeedTechCrunch
Federal Way Police
A local newspaper reported that the police used a drone
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Federal Way Mirror
Renton Police Department
The Renton Police Department operates five drones as of 2016, according to data compiled by the Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard Collegewww.rentonreporter.commynorthwest.com
The Renton Police Department uses automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): City of Renton
The Renton Police Department maintains a voluntary registry of private and personal surveillance cameras.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): City of Renton
Redmond Police Department
The Redmond Police Department operates two drones as of 2019, according to data compiled by the Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard Collegepatch.com
Emumclaw Police Department
The Emumclaw Police Department maintains a voluntary registry of private and personal surveillance cameras through Motorola Solutions' CityProtect platform.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): CityProtect
Issaquah Police Department
The Issaquah Police Department maintains a voluntary registry of private and personal surveillance cameras through Motorola Solutions' CityProtect platform.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): CityProtect
Source: EFF Atlas of Surveillance (Electronic Frontier Foundation & University of Nevada, Reno — Reynolds School of Journalism) · CC BY 4.0 · retrieved July 2026