El Cerrito council delays decision on renewing Flock Safety camera contract after hours of public outcry

El Cerrito’s City Council on April 21 declined to vote on a proposed renewal of its contract with Flock Safety, the private provider of the city’s license‑plate‑reader system, and instead continued the item to a special meeting on May 5 after extensive public comment and council scrutiny.

Chief Paul Keith, who recommended declining the automatic three‑year renewal and instead authorizing the city manager to finalize a newly negotiated agreement with additional safeguards, said the department has 40 cameras in the city and that a new contract would cost about $105,000 a year — roughly $1,500 more than the current deal. Chief Keith told the council his office negotiated a $34,500 contractual penalty for unauthorized sharing of data and other protections but acknowledged the agreement is a compromise: “It is not everything we asked for in agreement,” he said.

The recommendation came after the department disclosed two incidents of federal access to the system that city staff detected after tightening account controls. “We had two unauthorized accesses by federal agents,” the chief said, identifying the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Veterans Affairs Police. He said the department has published audit logs and will post monthly audits going forward.

Flock Safety representative Katie Dauphine defended the vendor’s security posture, saying the company has not been hacked, conducts penetration tests and offensive security assessments, and has implemented account controls that, in her words, prevent California agencies from opting into out‑of‑state sharing. “We take the claims that were made in these videos very seriously,” she said, referencing social‑media posts alleging vulnerabilities.

But the bulk of the evening was taken by public speakers concerned about privacy, data security, and potential federal access through FISA, the CLOUD Act, or other legal processes. Speakers cited investigative reporting and cases in other jurisdictions where data was accessed by federal agencies and urged the council to terminate the program. “Once ICE has located a neighbor, that can’t be undone,” one resident said.

Councilmembers voiced divergent concerns: some highlighted crime‑solving benefits Chief Keith described — including reported improvements in clearance rates for violent and property crimes — while others said the city lacked sufficient independent analysis and community input to approve a long contract. Several members asked staff to seek shorter‑term contract options so cameras would not be turned off while the city negotiated improved terms.

The council voted to continue the item to May 5, asking staff to return with additional options (including shorter contract lengths), to attempt further negotiation with Flock, and to invite external experts, including civil‑liberties advocates, and a Flock representative who can answer technical questions. The council also instructed staff to publish the proposed contract materials and provide time for public review before the next vote.

The decision keeps the cameras operating for now under the existing contract; staff said cameras would remain active through the natural term of the current agreement if the city gave notice not to renew.

What comes next: The council will revisit the item on May 5, when members expect to see a range of contract-term options, any revised language with stronger penalties or audit rights, and invited expert presentations. The council’s choice could determine whether El Cerrito keeps, amends or exits its network of license‑plate‑reading cameras.