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Residents press council to drop Flock license‑plate reader contract ahead of renewal
Summary
Scores of speakers from the San Bernardino airport community and advocacy groups urged council not to renew the city's contract with Flock over privacy and possible data sharing with federal agencies; speakers asked council to place the contract on the next agenda before the March 31 renewal date.
A large and sustained block of public comment at Wednesday’s meeting focused on the city’s contract with Flock, the vendor that operates license‑plate readers and related camera systems. Multiple speakers from neighborhood groups, the Warehouse Worker Resource Center and immigrant‑rights organizations urged the City Council not to renew an approximately $84,000 contract that a speaker said would renew automatically on March 31 unless the council acts.
Speakers raised privacy concerns and cited instances in other cities where data was reportedly shared or leaked to federal agencies, including immigration enforcement. Advocates said the cameras disproportionately affect Black and Latino neighborhoods and asked the council to review the contract and either pause or terminate renewal.
Council members acknowledged the public interest and staff said the contract renewal timing was known; multiple councilmembers asked staff to place the contract on an upcoming agenda for discussion and to provide a full staff report on data practices, safeguards, and alternatives.
No final vote on the contract took place at the meeting. Community groups said they will press the council to consider terminating the Flock contract before the March renewal date and suggested reallocating funds to parks, green space and community services instead.
