"We at the El Cerrito Police Department regret that our license plate photographs were available to out-of-state and federal law enforcement agencies, the department said in a statement. We have been satisfied with the response from Flock Safety and the safeguards and changes they have instituted to keep our data secure from unauthorized access."
"In a statement released Thursday, El Cerrito police said the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the GSA Office of the Inspector General, and the National Parks Service all were able to search license plate photographs that were taken by license plate readers (LPR's) in the city. Police said the access came between June 2023, when the cameras were first installed, and August 2023."
El Cerrito police conducted an audit revealing that the FBI, ATF, GSA Office of the Inspector General, National Parks Service, U.S. Postal System, and Veteran Affairs Police accessed license plate reader photographs collected by the city's cameras. The unauthorized access occurred between June 2023 and May 2025. El Cerrito police expressed regret over the security breach and stated satisfaction with Flock Safety's corrective measures. However, privacy concerns about automated license plate readers have prompted other Bay Area jurisdictions to take action. Santa Clara County's Board of Supervisors prohibited the Sheriff's Office from using readers in Cupertino and Saratoga, Mountain View unanimously voted to terminate its Flock Safety contract, and Richmond suspended its system.
#license-plate-readers #privacy-concerns #unauthorized-access #flock-safety #law-enforcement-surveillance
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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