Residents urge Pensacola City Council to terminate Flock camera contract

Dozens of residents pressed the Pensacola City Council on Feb. 12 to end the city’s contract with Flock Safety, an automated license-plate recognition system the speakers described as ‘‘AI powered surveillance.’’ Pepper Weimer, the first commenter, told the council, “We demand that you take down all flock cameras and immediately terminate our police comp department's contract with this company.”

Speakers across two public-comment periods said the system collects and stores license-plate reads and vehicle details, can be searched nationwide and has been used, they said, to assist federal immigration enforcement. Sarah Brummett said the technology was installed “on our dime but without our knowledge or consent,” and warned the council that opposition crosses political lines.

Several speakers cited national investigations and lawsuits alleging warrantless searches and misuse of Flock data. Jasmine Brown summarized an outside audit finding that a single query can reach a nationwide camera network and said that search logs have included terms tied to political demonstrations and reproductive healthcare. Lucas Pallone raised legal and technical concerns, referencing U.S. Supreme Court decisions on location tracking and alleged cybersecurity vulnerabilities in Flock systems.

Council members acknowledged the public’s concerns and discussed next steps. Council Member Jones asked for a formal report on how the system is being used in Pensacola; the city administrator said the request could be taken as an action item and noted that the new police chief affirmed at the meeting is familiar with the technology. The transcript records the council agreeing to pursue additional information, but no motion to terminate the contract was offered or voted on at the meeting.

Why it matters: Speakers framed their appeals as a public-safety and civil-liberties issue — arguing that a private company’s ALPR network can be searched widely and used without sufficient oversight. The council’s decision whether to retain, constrain or end the contract would affect how law enforcement collects and accesses location and vehicle data about residents.

What’s next: Council asked staff to provide more information about the city’s use of the system; no formal vote to cancel the contract was recorded on Feb. 12. If the council schedules a follow-up agenda item, speakers indicated they will return to press for termination.