Council reviews Flock camera usage report, staff recommends data-governance policy

City staff presented an annual usage report from Flock, a vendor that provides automated license-plate and vehicle-photo services, and council members discussed new policy language and governance steps on July 22.

The report included vendor-provided proposed policy language and usage statistics; the packet showed roughly 1,380 automated searches during the period covered. City staff said the proposed policy language was vendor-recommended and requested the city's attorney and council members review it.

Council members raised questions about who can run searches in the system and how the city tracks and audits that access. According to material in the packet, current search access under the city's present policy is limited to the police chief, the deputy chief, watch commanders and detectives. City staff asked the police department to confirm those access rights and suggested the packet's vendor language as a starting point for a city policy.

Several council members urged development of a broader data-governance framework to define who may access camera data, how searches are audited, and how long data are retained. One council member noted that large collections of municipal data require clear processes to show the city took “reasonable precautions” to protect them and offered to lead a policy-development effort in coordination with administration and the city attorney.

City staff said they will follow up with the police department and work with council members on a digestible version of the vendor language and next steps for a draft policy for future review.

Ending: The council did not vote on ordinance language or a policy at the meeting; staff and council members directed further review and drafting work to return to a future meeting.