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Mount Vernon resident urges cancellation of Flock surveillance contract, calls for community-based public-safety investments
Summary
During public comment, resident Kelly Lowenstein asked the City Council to cancel the city's Flock camera contract and shift funding from new police hires and vehicles toward community-based crisis response and protected bike infrastructure.
Mount Vernon — At the start of new business on Dec. 17, resident Kelly Lowenstein told the City Council she supports the police chief’s decision not to cooperate with ICE but urged the immediate cancellation of the city’s Flock contract and removal of the cameras, citing privacy risks and research showing surveillance data can be repurposed against people.
"I wanna call for the immediate cancellation of that contract and the removal of those cameras and technology from our systems," Lowenstein said, identifying herself as a local parent and community member. She asked the council to pause investment in additional officers and new police vehicles and instead fund community-focused, evidence-based response models such as CAHOOTS in Eugene, Oregon, and similar programs elsewhere.
Lowenstein also asked the city to prioritize protected bike infrastructure to improve everyday safety for parents commuting with children, saying that the most vulnerable moments are when a child is in a bike trailer on a major thoroughfare.
Her remarks were part of the council’s community comments period and were acknowledged by the mayor and council. No formal action on the Flock contract was taken during the meeting; council members did not announce any vote or directive to cancel the contract during this session.
What’s next: The transcript records public concern; any council or staff follow-up on the Flock contract or alternative public-safety investments would need to be initiated through a future agenda item or staff report.
