Resident calls for review of Flock license-plate readers; city manager promises quarterly updates
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Summary
During public comment, a Mill Valley resident urged the council to suspend and review deployment of Flock license-plate readers and live audio-video cameras, citing security and privacy concerns; city staff said a quarterly update will be brought to council in the first quarter.
A Mill Valley resident on Monday urged the City Council to "call for an immediate public review and termination" of the town's contract with Flock technology, saying the devices collect continuous vehicle and audio/video data and that researchers have documented vulnerabilities.
"In February, you voted to install 6 Flock Falcon auto license plate readers and 2 Condor live audio video cameras in our town," Justice Rosen said during public open time, alleging widespread collection and storage of surveillance data and citing published breaches and risks.
City Manager Todd Cusimano responded in his report by noting that the city had previously held a publicly noticed meeting about LPR cameras and that staff will provide quarterly updates on system use, security and data-sharing practices. "We will bring an item in the first quarter as that first quarterly update," Cusimano said, adding that the city manager, police chief and incoming mayor would work together to answer community questions.
The public comment and the manager's response did not change policy on the devices at the meeting; Rosen requested termination and a public review. The council did not take immediate formal action at Monday's meeting but accepted the city manager's plan for a scheduled Q1 report on usage, security and compliance with existing sharing limitations.
The city manager also said staff will work to ensure quarterly reporting is clear about how the system is used and whether any data-sharing occurred outside local policies.