"The entire council approved the deal with the Georgia-based company Flock Safety with the exception of Councilmember Carroll Fife who, in her words, voted "Flock no." Councilmembers Charlene Wang and Rowena Brown each made a slew of amendments to the contract, restricting which other agencies can access Oakland's Flock data and for what purposes. The company has faced scrutiny amid reports that data from its cameras - also called automated license plate readers or ALPRs -"
"In their pitch to the council Tuesday, OPD representatives showed off arrest statistics and crime data. Oakland police made 232 arrests using data from Flock license plate readers between July 2024 and November of this year, said Lt. Gabriel Urquiza. The data has also led the department to recover 68 guns. A regional task force relying on cameras throughout Alameda County has reportedly found 1,100 stolen vehicles from their data."
Oakland approved a $2.25 million contract to continue using nearly 300 Flock Safety license-plate cameras, with Councilmember Carroll Fife voting against. Councilmembers Charlene Wang and Rowena Brown added amendments limiting which agencies can access Flock data and the purposes for access. The Flock network faces scrutiny over reports that its automated license plate readers have been used to investigate abortion patients, monitor protesters, and locate undocumented immigrants for deportation. Some other cities have paused or canceled Flock contracts over similar concerns or allegations of misleading conduct. Oakland police reported arrests and recoveries tied to Flock data, including 232 arrests and 68 guns recovered.
Read at The Oaklandside
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