Multiple residents and privacy advocates urged council to reject or heavily restrict the Axon consolidation contract, raising concerns about automated surveillance, data storage, AI auditing, and vendor concentration.

Nichols referenced an Electronic Frontier Foundation finding that less than 1% of plates scanned are linked to wrongdoing, criticized ALPRs as warrantless mass surveillance raising Fourth Amendment issues, and warned vendor-reported accuracy (90%) can imply a 10% error rate with real-world consequences.

Mayor Corey Woods removed agenda item 8a1 after a clerical error left ALPR language in an Axon contract packet and told residents Tempe has ended its automated license-plate reader program and will not seek another provider; residents and privacy advocates urged the council to codify the policy in ordinance.