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Mountlake Terrace council delays decision on Flock automatic license-plate readers after privacy and oversight questions
Summary
The council heard a presentation on a proposed two-year, $54,000 agreement with Flock Safety for eight automatic license-plate reader (LPR) cameras. Councilmembers raised questions about data sharing, retention, and legal risks; the item was continued for further discussion and placement on the April 17 consent agenda.
Mountlake Terrace councilors on March 27 heard a presentation from vendor and police staff on Flock Safety automatic license-plate reader cameras that the police department is proposing to deploy. City staff said the proposed contract is a two-year agreement priced at $54,000 (about $27,000 per year) to supply, install and maintain eight fixed LPR cameras and associated services.
Police Commander King introduced the request and said the system would provide investigative leads and could integrate with neighboring agencies using Flock. "We would be able to tie into their cameras. The only thing that bleeds outside of Mountlake Terrace into those areas, we would also be able to use that information, and they would be able to use ours if we would let them," Commander King said.
Kristen McLeod, community engagement manager for Flock Safety, told the council the system focuses on images of vehicles (rear images) and is designed to provide alerts from national feeds (NCIC and Amber Alerts) and custom hot lists. McLeod said Flock automatically deletes data after 30 days by default and that customers retain ownership and control of their data, including which outside agencies may be allowed access. She also described Flock’s optional public transparency portal and internal audit logs that record search reasons and user IDs.
Council members pressed for specifics about oversight and legal exposure. Councilmember Murray asked whether Flock or the police department determines whether a search is valid; McLeod and Commander King said searches require a search reason and are audited internally. Murray also asked about an ongoing lawsuit in Norfolk, Virginia; McLeod said she would follow up with legal counsel and provide more information through the commander.
Other questions covered practical use cases and limits: the system is not a red-light or speed-enforcement tool; it is motion activated and intended for investigations such as stolen-vehicle alerts, missing-persons or Amber Alerts, and timed investigative searches tied to incident numbers. Commander King said the department expects an administrator to manage access and auditing and that evidence pulled for an investigation would be retained in the department’s evidence system.
Because several council members expressed concerns about policy, interagency sharing and potential legal costs, the council agreed not to place the item on the immediate consent agenda. Mayor Pro Tem announced staff would bring the contract back for further discussion and potential placement on the April 17 consent calendar.
The council did not take a final vote on the agreement on March 27.
