Lake Stevens police defend Flock camera use after audit finds out-of-region access; city tightens sharing

Deputy Chief Dean Thomas and the police chief told Lake Stevens City Council on Nov. 18 that the city’s Flock vehicle‑recognition cameras have helped local investigations but that system sharing had unintentionally allowed out‑of‑region access before July. During a demonstration, officers showed how the system returns license plates, photos and mapped vehicle movements when a qualifying hot‑list entry or search is made.

The department said it found a backend “toggle” in July that enabled statewide and national lookups. "We didn't give them that information," said City Attorney Greg, referring to federal agencies; "they looked into the database on their own and got access to it," he said. Deputy Chief Thomas said the city has since revoked out‑of‑state sharing and requires a case number and a stated investigative purpose for every search. "If they take that away from me, take it away from the chief, we don't have jobs," Thomas said, describing CJIS‑governed access controls that limit how officers use the data.

Police described examples where Flock hits led to arrests or helped recover stolen vehicles, find hit‑and‑run suspects and locate missing people. The department pointed to a public “transparency portal” that lists camera counts, hits and agency requests and said it now audits network access monthly rather than semi‑annually.

City Attorney Greg and the police chief warned that court decisions and pending litigation across Washington are clarifying what constitutes a public record for camera images and metadata. Council members pressed for safeguards that would reduce risks to privacy and stalking victims; staff said legislative changes would be required to alter public‑records law.

Councilmembers and staff discussed options such as terminating the contract (an executive decision, the city attorney said) or limiting funding through council budget authority. Several council members urged the Legislature to narrow public‑records disclosure rules so sensitive camera data is only released when tied to a law‑enforcement case or when disclosure would not risk victim safety.

The department said it will continue to require case numbers for searches, to log reasons, and to provide copies of sharing lists on the transparency portal. The presentation ended with staff offering to report back with documentation on why other cities turned off Flock and whether proactive notifications to people named in public‑records requests are feasible.