California
Merced County
On record
Checked 20 Aug 2026- Technologies
- 4
- Systems
- 10
- Devices mapped
- 89
Merced County, California. Device data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), with community reporting via DeFlock. Open the full map →
This county hub covers verified programs operated by the Merced County Sheriff’s Office, Merced Police Department, UC Merced, Atwater Police Department, and Los Banos Police Department. The underlying research also tracks proposals and leads that are not published as active systems.
What's in use here
Atwater approved eight Flock cameras for two intersections in November 2023 under a purchase order not to exceed $50,000. The reviewed record gives conflicting retention proposals.
Merced Police operates Motorola Vigilant license plate readers. In April 2026, the department said it disabled sharing connections to certain federal agencies after an internal review.
UC Merced's May 2026 ALPR policy covers campus police and parking operations. It sets a 60-day retention period and limits routine sharing to California state and local public agencies.
The Sheriff operates a Flock license plate reader network. A 2026 amendment extends the county contract through June 2030 and raises its total value to $385,350.
Los Banos Police listed seven drones and more than 100 missions in its 2023-24 AB 481 report. The report recorded no complaints, force applications, or policy violations.
Merced Police began a drone program in 2016 and accepted two more aircraft in 2017. A published AB 481 equipment document lists ten DJI aircraft.
The Sheriff's 2025 annual report lists eight aircraft and 725 uses during the year. It reports no policy violations and no complaints found in the records reviewed for the report.
Merced approved a $1,812,168.51 Axon package with 108 body cameras, fleet cameras with plate reading, interview-room tools, Fusus integration, Tasers, and other services.
A bundled Sheriff agreement includes body cameras, fleet cameras, Tasers, and cloud evidence services. Amendments raised the total agreement value to $11,123,869.92.
Merced Police invites residents and businesses to register cameras or connect selected feeds through Axon Fusus. The city's page contains conflicting statements about direct access.
Who runs it
The agency is the accountability unit: who voted, whose policy applies, and who answers a records request.
| Agency | Jurisdiction | SB 34 policy | Systems |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merced Police Department | City of Merced | On file | 4 |
| Merced County Sheriff's Office | Merced County | On file | 3 |
| Atwater Police Department | City of Atwater | — | 1 |
| Los Banos Police Department | City of Los Banos | — | 1 |
| UC Merced Transportation and Parking Services | University of California, Merced campus | On file | 1 |
| University of California, Merced Police Department | University of California, Merced campus | On file | 1 |
| 6 agencies on record. A jointly run system counts against each of its operators, so this column is not a county total. "Posted" means the policy is published where the law requires it. "On file" means we hold the document. "Not posted" and "not found" mean we could not find it on the agency's own website on the date shown; they say nothing about how the system is used. An agency with a dash has not been checked, which is not a finding. | |||
Trackers
Meetings, contracts, records
Nothing listed yet. The trackers launch here, and facts appear only with their sources.
How the inventory works →What you can do
Civic action
Show up
Public comment is open to any resident, and you do not have to be an expert to use it. We have not yet confirmed where the bodies that decide for Merced County meet. How the inventory works explains what we check and how to check it yourself.
How the inventory works →Personal protection
Protect yourself
Practical steps to shrink your personal data trail. Our guides publish at launch; until then, EFF's Surveillance Self-Defense is the best starting point.
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