"The Oakland Police Department's push to sign a new deal with a Georgia-based company to operate surveillance cameras on local roads flopped on Tuesday after the City Council's Public Safety Committee refused to move it forward. Councilmembers Carroll Fife and Rowena Brown voted against a police plan to approve a $2.25 million contract with Flock Safety. Under the deal, Flock would maintain a network of 290 automated license plate reader cameras that monitor vehicles on Oakland's roads."
"The department's proposal has faced strong headwinds from the public for months. Oakland's Privacy Advisory Commission, a volunteer board that weighs the pros and cons of new technologies and advises the council and OPD, refused to endorse the police department's plan, citing concerns about Flock, which has shared access to data with federal law enforcement agencies, potentially making it available for immigration enforcement and investigating people seeking abortion services. California state law prohibits police departments from sharing license plate reader data with the feds."
The Oakland Police Department sought a $2.25 million contract with Flock Safety to operate and maintain 290 automated license plate reader cameras across city roads and to incorporate private cameras into the system. The City Council's Public Safety Committee deadlocked after two members voted against and two voted for the proposal, halting progress. A proposed amendment would have imposed a $200,000 penalty for unauthorized Flock data sharing. Oakland's Privacy Advisory Commission declined to endorse the plan, citing Flock's history of sharing access with federal law enforcement and risks tied to immigration enforcement and investigations of people seeking abortions. A lawsuit alleges OPD shared ALPR data with federal authorities, and public opposition outnumbered supporters at the meeting. California law bars sharing ALPR data with federal agencies.
Read at The Oaklandside
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