"Over the past several months, controversy around and opposition to the company has spread as reports about the use of the cameras' data has emerged. Demands to cease the use of Flock cameras grew when Santa Cruz police Chief Bernie Escalante confirmed that the city's Flock data had been accessed by out-of-state agencies. Now, the City Council has voted to end the contract with Flock and directed city staff to seek out alternative options for automated license plate readers."
"O'Hara outlined the issues Santa Cruz has had with Flock, including reports that the chief executive officer of Flock had referred to anti-Flock groups as terroristic. She also discussed the community's fears that the Trump administration would use data from Santa Cruz for immigration enforcement purposes and said that the Flock platform had repeatedly created opportunities for Santa Cruz's data to be used in ways the city never intended. The question isn't whether we trust our own intent or even our own officers' intent, O'Hara said. It's whether we can guarantee our data won't be used in ways that conflict with Santa Cruz values and create fear in our community."
The Santa Cruz City Council voted 6-1 to terminate its contract with Flock Safety, which provided automated license plate cameras for Santa Cruz, Capitola and Watsonville. The city first signed with Flock in 2024. Concerns grew after reports emerged about how camera data was used and after confirmation that the city's Flock data had been accessed by out-of-state agencies. Councilmembers cited fears of data use for immigration enforcement and reports about the Flock CEO's comments toward opponents. The council directed staff to seek alternative automated license-plate reader options. One councilmember voted against ending the contract.
Read at www.santacruzsentinel.com
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