Public safety is extremely important. So are privacy, civil liberties, and public trust.
In 2024, the Albany City Council approved the use of Flock automated license plate reader cameras. I believe that was a mistake. I support ending Albany's use of Flock and not renewing its contract.
The warning signs were there before Albany signed up. The ACLU had raised serious concerns about Flock as early as 2022, including the creation of a nationwide surveillance network, the collection and sharing of location data, and the lack of adequate safeguards. Since then, Flock has given communities even more reason for doubt. Reporting over the past year has shown Flock data being searched on behalf of federal immigration agencies, including in ways California law restricts, and cities around the Bay Area and across the country have been canceling their contracts.
New technology can play an important role in public safety. But it needs careful research, real public input, strong safeguards, and transparency before it gets adopted, not after. This is about Flock, and about how the decision was made.
As a councilmember, I will insist on a more thoughtful and open process for decisions involving technology, privacy, and public safety. Albany residents should understand what technology their city is using, why it is being used, what information is being collected, who has access to it, and how that information is protected.