Redmond council unanimously suspends use of Flock license-plate readers pending review

The Redmond City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to suspend the city's use of its Flock automated license-plate reading (ALPR) system pending further review and public discussion. The council adopted the suspension as agenda item AM 25165.

The suspension motion was introduced by the council president and seconded by Council Vice President Forsyth; the vote was 5-0. The presiding official said the vote formalizes a prior recommendation and follows administrative steps taken last week when the mayor and police chief temporarily turned off the system.

The pause comes after months of council discussion about privacy safeguards and vendor oversight. "We did want to formalize it by having this special meeting tonight, to take a vote by council," the Council President said, explaining that councilors had asked the administration for more time to examine contract implications and the system's future.

Council Vice President Forsyth described the action as "a continuation of a lot of thoughtful conversation" stretching back to when the cameras and accompanying data-privacy measures were first implemented. Forsyth said the council scheduled a Committee of the Whole meeting on public safety next week to review technical and policy details.

Council Member Stewart said she would vote in favor of suspension and thanked the police chief for turning the system off. "The vendor has not proven trustworthy in other areas around the country," Stewart said, adding that recent court rulings "call for a moment of pause" and that the council needs further scrutiny of emerging public-safety technologies ahead of next year's budget cycle.

Council Member Inouye Ve Camino said she would vote yes as well, framing the pause as balancing Redmond's reputation for innovation with concern for residents. "Let's take a second to make sure that both sides are honored," she said.

The motion carried on a roll-call vote announced by the presiding official; the council adjourned immediately afterward. The council set a follow-up review at the Committee of the Whole on public safety to examine details and possible implications for the contract with the vendor. No ordinance or contract termination was announced at the special meeting.

Next steps: the Committee of the Whole public-safety meeting next week will review the city's use of the ALPR program and related data-governance controls.