Welcome to Wednesday, Atlanta!

☀️ Today's weather: Sunny and, yep, still hot. Highs in the l0w-90s and lows in the upper-60s.

Today's newsletter is 843, words, a 3-minute read.

Atlanta leaders could take up legislation as early as next week that would formalize standards on how automated license plate readers and other cameras are used throughout the city.

Why it matters: Law enforcement misuse of ALPRs and concerns about privacy have left many residents around the country — and across the political spectrum — questioning if the technology is being used as a government surveillance tool that potentially infringes on civil liberties.

The latest: Mayor Andre Dickens will introduce an ordinance next week to codify "existing privacy, oversight and accountability standards" that outline how ALPRs are used, his office said Tuesday in a news release.

• The ordinance would create citywide guardrails based on protocols established by the Atlanta Police Department.

Zoom in: Dickens' legislation would spell out authorized or prohibited uses, who can access these systems, how data is collected and shared and require monthly internal audits for "high-risk law enforcement systems" and quarterly reporting on internal audits and findings.

State of play: Dickens' legislation comes weeks after the mayor requested that Atlanta police audit 115,578 searches of Flock's ALPRs from this year.

• In a Sept. 10 letter written by Atlanta police Chief Darin Schierbaum, 79 of those searches were flagged for investigation to determine if they violate any policies or training protocols.
• The police department said that probe should be completed within the next two months.
• In the meantime, Schierbaum said APD has revised its own standards around LPRs, including restricting access through retired reserve officer accounts.

What's next: Dickens plans to introduce the legislation at the City Council's Sept. 21 meeting. Once introduced, the legislation will go through the Council's committee process.

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About 140,000 automated license plate readers, including thousands of Flock cameras, are installed across the U.S., according to this publicly available data.

Why it matters: The cameras can help police find stolen cars and wanted people, but their ability to track all vehicles all the time has fueled a growing privacy backlash and calls for tighter oversight or removal.

By the numbers: Harris County, Texas, home to Houston and nearly 5 million people, has more than 4,000 cameras logged on the Finding Flock map, the most of any county.

Zoom in: In Atlanta, around 2,206 cameras are listed in the database. Ninety-four percent of those cameras were identified as Flock's automated license plate readers.

Friction point: The debate over Flock cameras is intensifying as some communities reconsider or remove the cameras amid concerns about surveillance and instances of misuse.

Early risers can spot three bright planets stretching across the morning sky for the rest of the month, and they won't need a telescope to see them.

Why it matters: Saturn, Mars and Jupiter can all be spotted, weather permitting, in September's early morning hours, according to EarthSky.

How it works: The planets will spread in a long arc along the ecliptic — the path the Sun, Moon and planets follow — like lights strung across the sky.

• To see all three, head outside before dawn and scan from east to west: Jupiter will be the bright one in the east, followed by reddish Mars and Saturn farther west.

Tell an early riser

Axios Social Club brings together curious locals for good food, good conversation and a night out with people you might never meet otherwise.

How it works: Take a quick quiz, reserve your seat and we'll match you with five fellow locals at one of our favorite restaurants.

Here's the twist: You won't find out your restaurant or dinner crew until the day of the event.

• After dinner, all the tables meet up at a surprise afterparty.

If you go: Join us at 6:30pm Oct. 6 along the Beltline's Eastside Trail in or near Old Fourth Ward.

• Tickets are $15.99 per person.
• Food and drinks are purchased separately.

Come hungry. We'll handle the rest.

🏫 The DeKalb County Board of Education voted to approve Norman Sauce, who was sworn in as acting superintendent last year after the former head was indicted, as the sole finalist for the job. (Decaturish)

✈️ Mexican airline Volaris announced it will start flights to Guadalajara from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in October. (AJC)

❗️Researchers at Princeton University's Eviction Lab found that landlords in metro Atlanta filed 140,000 eviction cases in 2025, a rate that's more than three times the national average. (Rough Draft Atlanta)

🗳️ Voting rights advocates say new efforts to weaken Black voting power in the U.S. has led to higher turnout rates in Georgia in this year's Democratic party primary races — and expect that trend to continue. (Capital B)

😍 Kristal saw the cutest male puppy that looked so much like Hannah when we were at the vet yesterday (Hannah is fine; just a routine visit).

🤧 Thomas is still out sick.

This newsletter was edited by Crystal Hill.