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What you are probably seeing
You review your local data logs and notice gaps where camera footage should exist but is already gone. Your compliance notes show a mismatch between what you assumed you kept and what the system actually retains.
You try to answer an incident question by pulling old clips, only to find the relevant window has been overwritten. Your risk assessment now lists recovery failures as a recurring gap.
Why it happens
State ALPR statutes and municipal rules set aggressive automated deletion timers that apply to shared or linked camera feeds. These timers run silently in the background and override longer company retention preferences.
Backup systems that store data passively without restore testing create false security. If a retention rule triggers deletion faster than your backup cycle captures data, you lose the chain of evidence permanently.
What changed recently
Step by step
1. Map which jurisdictions your cameras operate in and record each one’s ALPR and footage deletion timelines.
2. Confirm that your backup schedule completes a full snapshot before any state-mandated deletion timer reaches zero.
3. Run a quarterly restore drill that pulls data from the backup and verifies file integrity and readability.
4. Update your incident response checklist to include a step that confirms whether the required footage still exists before it expires.
5. Document which local or state data retention rules apply to your business and file that policy with your security records.
Ways to go further
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