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Watsonville police describe Flock ALPR program, stress privacy safeguards
Summary
Watsonville Police briefed council on Flock automated license‑plate readers, citing investigatory hits and audits while residents asked for written assurances about federal access; police said data deletes after 30 days unless retained for a case and that the system "is not facial recognition."
Watsonville police told the City Council on Aug. 26 that their Flock Safety automated license‑plate reader (ALPR) program has aided investigations since it launched locally in 2023, but residents pressed for written limits on sharing data with federal agencies.
"The flock information automatically deletes after 30 days so long as we didn't use it for an investigation," Captain Donnie Thole said. "It is not facial recognition. There is no speed tracking, and it is not used for immigration purposes." He added that the department has activated a transparency portal and that he has conducted two audits this year, finding "0 misuse of the system."
Thole and Assistant Chief David Rodriguez told the council the city currently…
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