Flock license plate scanner contract postponed by Alameda County leaders

"Alameda County officials are punting on whether to approve a contract extension with a controversial surveillance company until they hear from Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez. The Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday to table a proposed contract extension with Flock Safety, a Georgia-based company that sells automated license plate reader cameras and other surveillance technology used by law enforcement to track vehicles."

"The county already has Flock cameras. County leaders approved a contract with Flock in June 2023 to cover unincorporated parts of the county with over 100 license plate readers. Last April, the board agreed to pay for Flock's pan-tilt-zoom cameras, which allow the sheriff's department to conduct surveillance on pedestrians, vehicles, and more. In July, the board signed a $600,000 year-long deal with Flock for the AeroDome system, which stations drones at sheriff's facilities where they can be deployed on a minute's notice."

"The newest proposal would extend Flock's work with the county through June 2026, making this extension mostly retroactive. According to a memo filed by Sheriff Sanchez, ALPR technology has been used to arrest violent criminals, recover stolen vehicles, and has led to a significant decrease in violent and overall crime. However, Supervisor Elisa Marquez, who made the motion to postpone the board's decision, said she and her colleagues have questions for the sheriff, noting that this is a very sensitive and controversial topic."

Alameda County's Board of Supervisors tabled a proposed extension of its contract with Flock Safety until Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez responds to supervisors' questions. The county already uses over 100 Flock license plate readers and previously approved pan-tilt-zoom cameras and a $600,000 year-long AeroDome drone deployment. The newest proposal would extend Flock's work through June 2026, largely retroactive. Sheriff Sanchez's memo says ALPR technology has aided arrests, vehicle recoveries, and reduced violent and overall crime. Supervisors expressed concerns about sensitivity, controversy, and potential federal access to Flock data that could impact vulnerable communities.

Read at www.berkeleyside.org