Resident urges Palo Alto to cancel Flock Safety ALPR contract over alleged data breaches

During general public comment at the May 4 council meeting, Tim McKenzie of the Silicon Valley Democratic Socialists of America urged the city to terminate its contract with Flock Safety, to remove automated license-plate reader (ALPR) cameras, and to consider litigation.

"I'm urging you to cancel the ALPR contract for cause, remove all the cameras, and pursue a lawsuit against Flock Safety for violation of contract and state law," McKenzie said. He alleged that Flock Safety had allowed ALPR data to be accessed by agencies outside California for more than a year and criticized the vendor's delayed implementation of two-factor authentication after the exposures.

McKenzie asked the council to follow actions taken elsewhere—he cited Mountain View, Menlo Park, Los Altos and Santa Clara County—where cities have restricted or adjusted use of ALPR systems after security incidents. "It's irresponsible to continue to reward them with city dollars when they've been proven to be unreliable time and again," he said.

The comment was entered during the meeting's general public-comment period as an information-item discussion; the transcript contains no recorded staff response or immediate council action on the claim in this session. The issue may be considered in a future staff report or agenda item.