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Petaluma advisory committee splits after public outcry over Flock ALPR; asks council to study alternatives
Summary
After more than two hours of public comment and technical Q&A, Petaluma dvisory Committee voted to ask the city council to evaluate alternatives to the Flock automatic license plate reader (ALPR) service, declined to recommend immediate suspension or termination, and recorded a recommendation that the city attorney continue contract review.
Chair Miller convened the Public Safety Advisory Committee on Feb. 25 to review the City of Petaluma LPR program and its contract with vendor Flock following weeks of public concern.
The meeting featured a lengthy public comment period in which at least two dozen residents urged the committee to ask the city council to cancel the Flock contract and remove Flock cameras. Speakers cited security vulnerabilities, public-record disclosure of ALPR searches, and the risk that regional fusion centers could share data with federal agencies. "These cameras are not just dangerous, they're un American," said Robin Riley, a longtime Petaluma resident and volunteer organizer, summarizing the distrust expressed by multiple commenters.
Petaluma Police Chief Miller detailed the department's approach: the city owns four fixed Flock cameras (the department said other cameras in the area may be privately owned),…
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