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El Cerrito police report audit finds limited federal access to license-plate reader data; public meeting, contract renewal set
Summary
Police Chief Paul Keith told the council an audit of the city’s Flock Safety license-plate reader system found early installations defaulted to broader sharing (including some federal and out‑of‑state accounts) but that sharing was restricted after August 2023; the department will hold a public meeting March 10 and return to council for contract renewal April 21, 2026.
Police Chief Paul Keith reported to the El Cerrito City Council that a department audit of its Flock Safety license-plate reader (LPR) system found two limited federal searches after the city tightened sharing controls, and a broader set of out‑of‑state and federal accesses during the system’s initial installation period.
“The system takes photographs of the back of cars, reads the license plate, records date, time and location, and retains data for a 30‑day period,” Chief Paul Keith said in his presentation. He told council there are 40 cameras around the city and described the system’s dual purposes: early alerts for wanted vehicles and investigative searches after crimes.
Keith said the council originally approved the system in March 2023, installations began in June 2023, and the police department began…
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