Residents press West Des Moines council over expanded Flock surveillance program
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Summary
Residents raised detailed questions about the city’s Flock camera program, alleging contract and deployment irregularities, unannounced expansion into parks and potential licensure gaps; the mayor said the city would respond to the record requests.
Jonathan Auberg told the West Des Moines City Council at its April 6 meeting that the city’s surveillance program raised multiple concerns about procurement, deployment and oversight. "This council approved a $496,800 Flock surveillance contract on a consent agenda," Auberg said, and he told the council that some contract signatures and camera deployments occurred before public notice and council discussion.
Auberg listed eight findings and asked six questions on the record, accusing the city of expanding the system beyond the Jordan Creek Town Center area into parks and of lacking an audit trail for when the system tracks residents. He said a deployment map and related records arrived only hours before the meeting after an Iowa Court of Appeals order to produce them and that the city’s ALPR policy (Policy 426) does not address the autonomous “owl” cameras in parks. "There is no public audit log," Auberg said, "No resident of this city can know whether, when, or why the system tracked them."
Online resident Amy Buehler told the council a camera had been installed across from her home and questioned the system’s utility if many vehicles in the area operate without license plates. "I just wanted to take pictures of it for proof," Buehler said, describing confrontations she says followed earlier reports to dispatch. Mayor Russ Trimble acknowledged the questions and said the city had the items on the record and would respond "as soon as we are able to."
Why it matters: Auberg’s account touches procurement, privacy and compliance with a court order. He asked whether the police chief’s April 1 signature on an additional‑services agreement was binding before council approval, what authorized expansion into parks, when the city will produce remaining records required by the court, and whether the city verified Flock Group Incorporated’s contractor licensure in Iowa before payment.
Council action and next steps: The council did not take action on the camera program during the meeting; Mayor Trimble said staff would respond to the questions on the record. The concerns Auberg raised — contract timing, deployment beyond the original scope, missing public audit logs and licensure questions — were left unresolved at adjournment.
Claims and responses: Auberg alleged the contract was approved with limited public discussion and that staff implemented agreements prior to full council review. The mayor committed to responding on the record but did not provide immediate answers during the meeting.
The meeting record: Auberg’s presentation and the online comments from Buehler are part of the meeting transcript and were captured for follow‑up by the city.
