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Los Altos Hills council orders immediate termination of Flock Safety contract amid privacy concerns
Summary
After extensive public comment and council debate, Los Altos Hills voted to terminate its contract with Flock Safety, the company that supplies the town’s automatic license‑plate reader (ALPR) system, citing reported data‑sharing and security concerns and directing staff to seek a prorated refund.
The Los Altos Hills City Council on Jan. 15 directed staff to terminate the town’s contract with Flock Safety, the vendor that supplies the municipality’s automatic license‑plate reader (ALPR) cameras, citing concerns about data sharing and privacy. The motion to end the contract immediately passed by roll call after more than two hours of public comment and council discussion.
City Attorney Ms. Sly reported earlier in the meeting that the council had reviewed a demand letter alleging Brown Act and other procedural issues; the town had provided an unconditional response in an earlier special meeting but said that action was not an admission of wrongdoing.
The Flock contract was introduced as a pilot in 2021 and was most recently renewed in 2025 as a five‑year agreement covering 31 cameras at roughly $93,000 annually. Staff and the sheriff’s office described cases in which the system helped detectives identify leads, including mail theft and vehicle‑related investigations. The sheriff’s representative said detectives use ALPR searches in limited, case‑specific ways and that weekly audits and a yearly report are conducted to track system use.
But multiple residents and outside speakers urged the council to cancel the contract, presenting evidence they said showed broader sharing of Flock data with federal agencies and other jurisdictions and pointing to examples where the technology had been used outside the town. Anand Ranganathan (public commenter) and other residents described what they termed “active data sharing,” while community technical reviewers raised security weaknesses in camera hardware.
Council members weighed law‑enforcement utility against privacy risks and financial costs, including the added sheriff overtime required to monitor and investigate hits. Council Member [speaker who moved the motion] said the system’s value to Los Altos Hills appeared weak and that the privacy and control issues were unacceptable. The motion directed staff to terminate the contract immediately and to seek a prorated refund where possible.
Council also asked staff to work with the town’s technology committee and the sheriff’s office on next steps for public safety, including evaluating the costs and alternatives such as private security and other crime‑prevention investments. The council emphasized the need for a holistic public‑safety strategy before replacing the service.
The council’s direction will be implemented by staff; the termination order did not specify a replacement system. The town has paid ahead for some of this fiscal year’s service and asked staff to pursue reimbursement and to return with next steps and legal options.
The council’s decision follows similar recent actions in other California cities that paused or ended relationships with Flock as privacy questions surfaced.
