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Residents urge Santa Cruz council to halt Flock license-plate cameras over data-security and civil-rights concerns
Summary
Multiple residents and the group Get the Flock Out told the city council the Flock camera program risks privacy and data security, citing alleged unencrypted data, dark‑web access, and federal sharing; speakers asked the council to cover cameras during a city review and to consider terminating the contract.
Dozens of residents pressed the Santa Cruz City Council on Nov. 30 to halt or pause use of the city—s Flock license-plate camera system while the city investigates data-security and civil-rights risks.
"The data in the cameras is not encrypted," said Chen Mills of the group Get the Flock Out, calling reports that data access is being sold on the dark web "deeply concerning." Julia Monahan, also with Get the Flock Out, told the council the system has "inherent issues" and that those cannot be fixed by local staff or the police department.
Speakers alleged instances of unauthorized access and said they worried that federal agencies and private actors could use shared plate data to target migrants, activists and community members. Ashley Dionne referenced local and county police chiefs who, she said, have questioned Flock's compliance with state rules and noted the city is paying "hundreds of thousands of dollars a year" to set up the cameras. Sean Doherty said a national search breach undermined trust in the system and called the cameras a potential Fourth Amendment violation.
City officials told speakers that the matter is not agendized for immediate council action and that council members are prohibited from responding during oral communications. The mayor said the subject will return to the council in January for a scheduled discussion and potential action.
Why it matters: Residents framed the debate as a balance between public-safety benefits and civil‑liberties risks, urging the city to clarify what data the vendor stores, who can access it, and what safeguards are enforced. Several callers asked the council to cover cameras temporarily while the city investigates.
What's next: Council members and staff signaled a review will occur in January. The council did not take a formal vote at the Nov. 30 meeting.
Quotes: "The flock company itself has inherent issues in every aspect of its system and business practices," Julia Monahan said. "It's simply not a system that can be made safe."
