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Petaluma advisory committee hears sharp public opposition to Flock ALPRs, votes to agendize council recommendation
Summary
At a Jan. 28 Petaluma Public Safety Advisory Committee meeting, police staff outlined the cityALPR program and its 30-day retention policy while more than a dozen public commenters urged ending the cityFlock Safety contract; the committee voted to add both a potential council recommendation on the contract and a future vote on the departmentpolicy to the February agenda.
PetalumaPublic Safety Advisory Committee members on Jan. 28 heard a staff presentation describing the citypolice department—s automated license plate reader (ALPR) program and then faced sustained public comment calling for termination or non-renewal of the cityFlock Safety contract.
Staff presented a "hybrid" ALPR model that combines three platforms: Vigilant for parking enforcement, one Axon Fleet 3 unit used in a DUI enforcement vehicle, and four fixed Flock Safety cameras deployed in 2025. Petaluma Police Chief Miller said the department treats ALPR data as law-enforcement evidence, retains scans for 30 days unless flagged for investigation, and requires role-based access, supervisory approval for hot lists, and mandatory training for authorized users. "Our ability to effectively police and serve our communities and maintain their trust and confidence is wholly contingent upon adherence to the rule of law and the constitution," Chief Miller said in opening remarks.
Residents and privacy advocates used the public comment period to press the committee and city for stronger limits, or for an end to the Flock contract. "Flock ALPRs specifically are a networked surveillance technology that is already being abused in California," said Robin Riley, a volunteer chapter leader with the ACLU's Sonoma County chapter. Eric Leland, a former member of the ad hoc community advisory committee, urged the committee to advise the City Council to discontinue the Flock contract, citing documented security gaps and vendor contract provisions that commenters say allow broad vendor access.
Flock Safety's account manager, Lily Ho, answered technical questions from the committee and said customers retain ownership of their data. "Customers own the data. Customers retain the right to share whom they would like to share it with," Ho said, describing platform features such as custom hot lists and a vehicle "fingerprint" function that lets officers search by vehicle characteristics if a full plate is not known.
Committee members pressed staff on specifics. A staff presenter confirmed the Axon-equipped DUI vehicle is used solely for DUI enforcement and said the Flock deployment in Petaluma includes four fixed cameras, acquired with a grant and currently costing the city about $12,000 per year for the Flock component. Staff said the Flock contract runs through September 2027 and that the city had posted an ALPR transparency page listing camera counts, sharing agencies and scan totals.
Public commenters repeatedly raised two concerns: (1) technical and contractual gaps that have allowed other agencies or vendors to share ALPR data beyond intended recipients, and (2) the potential for out-of-state or federal access to sensitive location data. Commenters pointed to state enforcement actions and audits elsewhere in California as evidence of risk; Chief Miller and staff told the committee state law (including SB 34 and immigration-related measures such as SB 54 and AB 4) limits sharing with federal agencies and requires public-facing policies and audits.
Although this meeting was agendized as informational, committee members moved and approved two items to appear on the February agenda so the full committee can consider formal advice to City Council: (1) whether to recommend that the council discontinue or renegotiate the Flock contract, and (2) whether the committee will affirm the Police Department's ALPR policy. Both motions passed on roll-call votes recorded as unanimous.
The meeting also included a brief report from the independent public auditor, who said December statistics showed six new uses of force, one new pursuit and no new complaints; the auditor said reviews and an annual report are underway. Chief Miller closed with a recruitment announcement for multiple city boards and commissions before the meeting adjourned at 7:47 p.m.
What happens next: The committee has scheduled the two items for the February meeting. Any formal recommendation to City Council would be advisory; the City Council retains final authority over contracts and budgets.
Sources: Presentation and staff remarks, public comments from community members, statements by Flock Safety account manager Lily Ho, and the independent public auditorreport presented at the meeting.
