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Residents press council on 'Flock' camera access and ICE; councilors point to police oversight and PCAB review
Summary
Multiple speakers raised privacy and civil liberties concerns about Flock license-plate-reading cameras and whether federal agencies have access; callers and councilors urged clear access controls, auditing and badge/case tracking; councilors noted the Police Citizen Advisory Board and police chief briefings addressing camera usage.
Public commenters raised privacy concerns related to Flock license-plate-reader cameras and whether Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or other federal agencies have access to those data. Commenters asked the council what safeguards will prevent future sharing and requested greater transparency on access and auditing.
A speaker identified in the transcript as raising the issue said he was “happy that both our chief of police and the city attorney have guaranteed that no laws were broken and that immigration and customs enforcement was not given access” in recent instances, but asked how the city will guarantee access is not provided in the future.
Caller Megan Eliezer (identified in the record as Loveland Citizens Group) suggested operational safeguards: limit access to the Loveland Police Department only, require badge numbers for each access, log a case number for every search, and establish regular audits conducted by the city attorney’s office or city manager’s office at least quarterly. “Those are all things that can be done, effectively and easily implemented to ensure the privacy of our residents,” she said.
Council members and others pointed to the Police Citizen Advisory Board (PCAB) and the police chief’s briefings as venues where the issue has been addressed; Councilor Foley referenced a PCAB meeting in which the chief reviewed internal controls, and said the system had helped locate missing persons in at least one case. Councilor Foley said the Flock tool has assisted investigations, including in serious crimes, and urged residents to review the PCAB recording for the chief’s full explanation.
No council policy change or new ordinance was adopted at the meeting; councilors asked staff and the police chief to continue providing information to advisory boards and to the public about access controls and auditing practices.
