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Residents urge Saratoga to review or end Flock license-plate camera contract
Summary
Public commenters at the Saratoga City Council meeting urged the city to cancel or more tightly oversee its contract with Flock Safety, citing reported unauthorized statewide-search access in nearby cities and calls for contract transparency, public hearings and audit logs.
Public commenters told the Saratoga City Council on Feb. 12 that the city should review or terminate its contract with Flock Safety, the vendor that provides automated license-plate readers now deployed around the city.
Jeffrey Pugh, a Fredericksburg Drive resident, opened oral comments by noting that other local jurisdictions have pulled back from Flock or paused renewals amid data‑sharing concerns. He said Mountain View disabled its system after discovering “unauthorized access to license plate data by law enforcement agencies across and outside California,” and cited Los Altos and Santa Cruz as examples of municipalities that curtailed or ended contracts over privacy and data-retention issues. Pugh asked whether Saratoga planned a review or possible termination of the contract.
A second resident framed the matter as urgent public‑privacy and transparency concerns, telling the council that “Flock has shown where its priorities lie in profit and control.” The speaker alleged that vendor features (a nationwide-search option) had been enabled in other jurisdictions without local approval and asked the council to publish Saratoga’s Flock contract and a current camera map, hold public hearings, consider alternate vendors, and conduct network audits with the sheriff’s office to disclose who is searching license‑plate data.
City staff did not take immediate action during the public‑comment period. Mayor Page responded by noting the council’s public comment rules and by inviting the council to add a dedicated agenda item; later in the meeting several council members proposed placing the Flock contract on an upcoming agenda so residents could have a fuller opportunity to weigh in.
The comments did not include allegations that Saratoga’s data had been misused; speakers framed their remarks as precautionary, urged greater contract transparency and public oversight, and cited lawsuits and policy changes elsewhere as the justification for review.
The council did not vote on the Flock contract at the meeting. Mayor Page and other members suggested staff follow up and that the item be considered at a future meeting so the public can participate in a fuller discussion.
