Debate grows over Flock license plate cameras in Alameda County
Alameda County supes mull Flock Safety license plate camera contract
The debate over Flock Safety license-plate cameras is now in Alameda County's court, after controversy led Mountain View to cut off its system and Mill Valley officials to restrict their cameras.
OAKLAND, Calif. - Supporters of license plate reader cameras rallied Tuesday in Oakland, urging the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to approve a retroactive contract extension with Flock Safety.
"Safety cameras solve crimes! Safety cameras solve crimes!" demonstrators chanted outside the county administration building.
Advocates push for extension
What they're saying:
Business owner Brenda Grisham said technology is needed to supplement limited law enforcement staffing.
"If we don’t have enough bodies, then we need technology to fill in the gap, and that’s what we’re asking for," Grisham said. "Nothing is going to be perfect, but we have to use the tools that we have."
Some speakers blasted critics.
"There’s ulterior motives and hidden agendas with a lot of these folks showing up because they represent nonprofits that profit off the exploitation of human suffering," said Edward Escobar of the Coalition for Community Engagement.
Oakland approves contract with Flock Safety for license-plate cameras
After four hours of discussion, the Oakland City Council voted 7-1 on Tuesday night to approve a two-year contract with Flock Safety for license-plate cameras across the city.
The Board of Supervisors tabled discussion of the contract until April 21. Before the delay, Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas sounded a warning about the system.
"It does have the potential to really be at a greater scale and harm our communities, and I don’t want to look back at history and say, ‘Oh, I wish I had stopped this from happening,’" Bas said.
Concerns over access to data
What they're saying:
Dig deeper:
Privacy advocate Brian Hofer, executive director of Secure Justice, disputed claims that opposition is limited to a small group.
"To say this is just a couple angry activists is obviously not true," Hofer said. "This is a national movement against Flock."
Hofer alleged that the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office violated state law in recent years by activating a national search function that allowed broader access to its data.
He said the move exposed more than 2.6 million data points to federal agencies and out-of-state jurisdictions, including states that prosecute abortion-related cases.
The sheriff’s office said it plans to respond to community concerns before the supervisors’ meeting.
Broader debate across Bay Area
Big picture view:
In December, Oakland approved a $2.2 million contract with Flock, allowing integration with cameras operated by the California Highway Patrol.
Other Bay Area cities have taken different approaches. Mill Valley recently narrowed the scope of its camera program. Last week, Mountain View Police Chief Mike Canfield shut down the department’s cameras, accusing Flock of allowing out-of-state law enforcement agencies to access its data.
Mountain View turns off license plate readers because of 'unauthorized' federal use
Mountain View's police chief said Monday that the city's license plate reader cameras will be turned off until the City Council decides whether to keep them operating in the city.
However, both Hofer and Flock supporters said Mountain View opted into those searches, apparently by mistake. A Mountain View police spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hofer, who has filed lawsuits over the misuse of license plate data, said the company presents legal risks.
"In my 10 years of doing this, I have never seen a surveillance technology vendor have this many problems so fast," he said.
A Flock spokesperson said Tuesday that the company disabled its national lookup feature for all California agencies last year and is confident its privacy protections comply with state law, local policy and community expectations.
Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on X @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan
The Source: This story was written based on information from the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, privacy advocates, and residents.