Watsonville council approves two-year lease to expand police ALPR cameras amid fierce public opposition

Interim Police Chief David Rodriguez told the Watsonville City Council on Sept. 9 that the police department recommends approving a two-year order form to lease 37 automated license-plate readers (ALPR) from Flock Group Incorporated for an amount not to exceed $251,000 from the general fund. Rodriguez said the system provides "a true force multiplier" for investigations and public-safety responses, including stolen-vehicle alerts and cross-jurisdictional hot lists.

The presentation outlined policy controls and safeguards the department said would govern local use: "All data is owned by Watsonville PD and will never be sold to private third parties," Rodriguez said, and the system is configured to automatically delete untagged data after 30 days. He described internal auditing, required user IDs and search reasons, and a recently added feature that blocks impermissible keyword searches.

The police department cited recent operational results: officers used the system on nearly 100 calls for service in the last six months, the department reports more stolen-vehicle recoveries and a list of arrests tied to ALPR-aided investigations. Rodriguez provided two examples in which plate data helped identify suspect vehicles across jurisdictions.

Public comment that followed the presentation was overwhelmingly opposed. Dozens of residents and organized groups, including Get the Flock Out and the Santa Cruz County Latino Affairs Commission, warned the council that ALPR data can be and has been accessed by federal agencies, criticized Flock's practices elsewhere, and said the expansion would disproportionately affect immigrant communities. "This is about the tool that's being used," Julia Monahan, a leader of Get the Flock Out, said during public comment, arguing that reported contract breaches and federal access show the technology is unsafe for Watsonville. Several speakers urged the council to invest instead in youth programs and housing supports.

Council members debated the trade-offs. Councilmember Crystal Santino said she had reviewed the contract and audits and cited missing-person and child-safety cases as reasons to support the tool. Other members, including the mayor, said national political developments and concern about potential federal access weighed against approval. City staff and the city attorney told council that the city owns the data, that SB 54 (the California Values Act) and local policy limit disclosure for immigration purposes, and that the contract allows the city to turn cameras off immediately and requires 30 days notice for termination of payments.

A motion to approve the staff recommendation passed on a recorded roll call: Clark Aye; Dutra Aye; Montesinos Yes; Parker Yes; Carter No; Salcedo Yes; Orozco No.

What happens next: the council authorized executing the two-year order form to expand the ALPR deployment to 37 cameras. City staff said they will continue reporting usage statistics and audits to the council and that existing transparency materials and a department "transparency portal" are available on the police website.

Why this matters: proponents say ALPRs help solve cases, recover stolen vehicles and improve response times; opponents warn the technology enables surveillance, risks data sharing beyond local control, and could deter immigrant families from public life. The council's approval means Watsonville PD will proceed with the planned expansion under the contract terms and with the oversight mechanisms described by staff.

Vote details and follow-up: The council approved the authorization in a 5-2 recorded vote. Councilmembers and staff said they will monitor audits and public records requests and that the city retains contractual remedies, including immediate cessation of data collection and legal action if Flock violates the agreement.