Members of dozens of community organizations are calling on the city of San Diego to stop doing business with Flock Safety, the Atlanta-based company that makes the Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras San Diego has been using since 2023.
They gathered at Civic Center Plaza Thursday chanting slogans and holding signs reading, “Get the Flock out.” They were joined by two members of the city council.
“Flock is a proven bad actor, that has shown either an unwillingness or an inability to prevent their powerful tool from being abused,” said San Diego City Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera.
A KPBS investigation this year found a number of San Diego County police agencies using ALPR data collected from privately owned license plate readers, with minimal oversight. Flock has faced criticism in other states and cities in the country where its cameras are in use. Some places have cut ties with the company.
The city’s Public Safety Committee, made up of council members Marni von Wilpert, Raul Campillo, Jennifer Campbell and Stephen Whitburn voted unanimously last month to approve a new contract with Flock. The council is set to take the matter up at its meeting on Tuesday.
“We must re-evaluate the city’s relationship with Flock, to ensure that the city partners with a vendor that respects our residents, that simply follows the law,” said Councilmember Henry Foster III.
Ike Anyanetu is a member of the San Diego Privacy Advisory Board. He said the board has studied the issue closely.
“We don't believe this technology should be used. This should be removed in its current state,” he said.
Anyanetu said the board doesn’t take a position on a specific ALPR company but it is clear on policies that must be adopted for the systems to be used properly, in a way that respects people’s privacy. As things stand now, the PAB said that isn’t happening.
“This technology should not be used unless you can do these things,” said Anyanetu.
But there is support for ALPR cameras on the city council. Councilmember Campillo said they help solve crime, pure and simple.
“And that's why we've seen stolen cars reduced by 20 % over a year in the city alone, 50 % in the middle of the city, in District Three, in Uptown, in Hillcrest, in those places where there's traditionally more car thefts. So the data speaks for itself. My constituents want more of these,” he said.
The San Diego Police Department agrees with Councilmember Campillo, saying the ALPR cameras help solve and fight crime. The department issued a statement calling ALPR "a game-changing technology for the San Diego Police Department in investigating and solving crimes," saying it's been used in more than 600 investigations with more than $6 million in stolen property recovered and more than 450 suspects arrested.
SDPD also said it has worked closely with Flock, the PAB, the city's information technology department and the council "to implement robust guidelines and privacy protections that comply with California and local law," and noted, "SDPD does not share ALPR data with Federal agencies per SB 34."
