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Councilman Kirkpatrick urges review of Flock ALPR cameras after reports of hacks
Summary
Councilman Kirkpatrick told the Bartlesville City Council Jan. 5 that viral reports of hacked Flock ALPR camera footage and questionable corporate PR warrant a policy review and reconsideration of the technology’s use in Bartlesville.
Councilman Kirkpatrick raised alarm about the security of license-plate-recognition cameras provided by Flock, saying viral videos and reporting show vulnerabilities that merit a formal review of city policy.
"There have been several videos that have been shared with us...One of the videos was called 'Netflix for stalkers,'" Kirkpatrick said, arguing the clips show both collected data and live streams may be vulnerable. He said the council has been monitoring the issue and urged staff and colleagues to consider whether the city should retain the technology.
Kirkpatrick also criticized the company's public-relations response to people who raised concerns. "The company's PR response to one chief of police was to say people who raised these concerns were basically anti-police, wanted to defund the police, were terrorist sympathizers," he said, calling that response "troubling."
Another councilmember agreed that the revelations underscore the need to revisit local policies governing camera use and data security. Kirkpatrick urged staff to report back with options for policy changes or procurement decisions.
The council did not take a formal vote on changing ALPR policy at the meeting. Council discussion focused on potential next steps, including reviewing existing contracts, security procedures and public communications about camera locations and data handling.
The presentation was part of the consent-agenda discussion; the council later approved the consent docket with one item pulled for separate consideration.
