FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Washington County GOP County Committee Censures Bartlesville City Councilors for Continuing Use of ALPR Cameras
The Washington County GOP County Committee passed a resolution censuring two Bartlesville City Council members—Mayor Jim Curd Jr. (Ward 3) and Vice Mayor Trevor Dorsey (Ward 5)—for voting to continue the use of Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras in the City of Bartlesville rather than allowing the matter to go to a vote of the people.
The Resolution cites the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees the right of citizens to be secure from unreasonable searches and seizures. It also notes that federal courts have ruled that law enforcement use of surveillance data from drones, cell phones, or GPS trackers constitutes a violation of privacy expectations, and that similar use of Flock camera data could be deemed unconstitutional.
The Resolution emphasizes that Republican elected officials have a duty to uphold the Constitution and the OKGOP Platform, which affirms that citizens’ natural rights—granted by God and protected by the Constitution—must be defended by elected officials, even during declared emergencies.
The Washington County GOP County Convention previously directed that any local official voting to use or continue transportation surveillance technologies, including ALPR systems, be censured. The County Committee therefore voted to censure Mayor Curd and Vice Mayor Dorsey for disregarding the Committee’s earlier resolution and for denying citizens a voice in this important issue.
Read the Resolution here.
The Washington County Republican Party is governed by County Committee members elected by Republican voters in each precinct. To contact your Precinct officers or for information on how to be involved, visit www.wcgopok.com.
-END-
Vic Severin, WCGOP Chairman
Sarah Burnett, WCGOP Vice Chairman
