Flock Camera with solar panel (File Photo – Bruxton)
The South Pasadena City Council raised concerns about public privacy and legal compliance surrounding Flock Safety’s Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) system during its Feb. 18 meeting.
By Zamourad Iqbal
Sgt. Andy DuBois presented on the benefits of the Flock ALPR system, which he said has been instrumental in solving crimes and ensuring public safety. He shared examples of how the technology helped apprehend suspects, solve high-profile cases, and provide closure to grieving families.
Mayor Sheila Rossi said the Flock system’s design has violated California laws, including Senate Bill 34 and Senate Bill 54, which regulate law enforcement data-sharing practices and prohibit the use of local resources for immigration enforcement.
“One of the things that I struggle with is that they knew the state laws of California coming in when they decided to be a service provider in California, and so all of these changes they’re making are after they’ve gotten busted essentially for it… I think they hired the former police chief of El Cajon to work for them, which is fun… I think the city of Mountain View didn’t provide consent to it. So, there’s a city that didn’t actually consent to the data being shared,” Rossi said.
Rossi also voiced concerns about Flock’s access to the data and the company’s public statements that responsibility ultimately lies with the city.
“I’m not saying it’s a great time to know if it’s useless, because if you’re saying that it’s our data from day one, and they’ve publicly said and it’s been published in the newspapers that it’s not their responsibility,” Rossi said.
Mayor Pro Tem Omari Ferguson suggested the council explore alternative ALPR vendors.
“As we talk about next steps and working forward, what are the alternatives to ALPR systems that are available… I’m hearing you clearly. This is a tool you feel is very effective in executing your job… I obviously don’t want to impede you, and at the same time, I’m here trying to balance, you know, the privacy needs of residents within the community,” Ferguson said.
Councilmembers agreed to gather more information and explore alternative vendors, review the prioritization of camera locations, and develop a more robust policy to protect civil liberties and privacy. They also emphasized the importance of transparency and community involvement in the decision-making process.
“I think it might be beneficial for the community to have wider visibility into that working group in terms of determining its overall efficacy and compatibility with a wider range of community values,” Ferguson said.
During public comment, resident Bill Kelly said he supports law enforcement’s use of technology but raised concerns about how Flock handles data.
“First, to the police, I trust that you’re operating legally with the data. I have no reason to believe you’re not,” Kelly said. “You are not the problem. The problem is, once the data leaves South Pasadena’s possession and goes into the database, you have a licensing agreement with Flock that lets them use it for providing Flock services. And we don’t really know precisely what those services are fully… So I’m in favor of using technology legally and intelligently in law enforcement. But Flock, unfortunately, is a slippery company.”
In other business, the council proclaimed February 2026 as Black History Month, honoring African Americans’ contributions to the community and reaffirming the city’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. The council also proclaimed Feb. 17 as Lunar New Year, celebrating the Year of the Horse and the cultural heritage of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.
The council is expected to revisit the issue after gathering additional information. The next meeting is scheduled for March 4.
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