Elk Grove City Council to Consider $2.3 Million Red-Light Camera Expansion
DeFlock Elk Grove is mobilizing residents to speak out against automated surveillance cameras during the non-agenda public comment portion of Wednesday night’s council meeting
ELK GROVE, Calif. — The Elk Grove City Council will consider a proposal Wednesday to significantly expand its automated red-light traffic enforcement program, adding five new camera systems and extending its vendor contract through 2031 at a total cost of more than $2.3 million.
Under a staff recommendation prepared by Senior Management Analyst Fauna Shrago and Police Chief Robert Davis, the council is asked to bypass formal competitive bidding and execute a ninth amendment to the city’s contract with Arizona-based Redflex Traffic Systems, Inc.
The five-year extension would run through August 30, 2031. Program costs for the upcoming fiscal year are estimated at $417,600, increasing to roughly $483,300 annually once all new cameras are operational.
The report noted that while automated enforcement is not a primary revenue driver, citation revenues are projected to offset overall program operating expenses.
According to a departmental traffic summary completed in late 2025, an analysis of Elk Grove’s 15 highest-volume intersections revealed that locations equipped with photo enforcement consistently showed lower crash rates per million entering vehicles than unmonitored intersections.
The staff report proposes installing new red-light camera systems at the following locations:
- Westbound Laguna Blvd. at Bruceville Rd.
- Southbound Elk Grove Florin Rd. at Sheldon Rd.
- Northbound Franklin Blvd. at Elk Grove Blvd.
- Southbound Elk Grove Blvd. at Franklin Blvd.
- Southbound Bruceville Rd. at Laguna Blvd.
Additionally, the existing northbound camera at Bruceville Road and Elk Grove Boulevard would be modified to face northbound traffic.
City records show the existing five-camera system generated 5,703 verified violations and 5,078 citations in fiscal year 2025–26, up from 4,118 verified violations two years prior. Upgrades implemented in 2021 equipped the systems with high-definition video feeds, 30-day historical archives, and automated license plate recognition capabilities tied into the police department’s Real Time Information Center.
The requested expansion comes amid a growing national backlash against automated surveillance infrastructure, particularly Flock license plate readers, over privacy and data-tracking concerns. Coincidentally, local community organization DeFlock Elk Grove is mobilizing residents to speak out against automated surveillance cameras during the non-agenda public comment portion of Wednesday night’s council meeting.
Historically, the Elk Grove City Council has approved every surveillance technology request submitted by the Elk Grove Police Department—including red-light cameras, police drones, and Flock license plate readers—and is expected to approve the contract extension Wednesday evening.
