Renton council extends pause on Flock ALPR cameras, orders contract review and third‑party audit study

After dense public comment opposing automated license‑plate readers, Renton City Council voted Monday to continue pausing stationary Flock ALPR cameras while directing staff to review the vendor contract and research options for independent, third‑party audits.

Councilmember Rivera moved the measure, saying the pause would allow time for a thorough review of the contract and for the council to “read not only the original contract, but every single updated terms of agreement and understand what they mean.” The motion called for continuing the pause on Flock-mounted cameras and, where operationally feasible, restoring in‑car Axon and Genetec ALPR systems to collect data for study. The motion passed by voice vote.

The decision followed more than an hour of public comment from residents and regional experts who urged the city to cancel or keep off the Flock contract. “These cameras were not needed, were not deployed properly, are politically unpopular, and exploit taxpayers,” said Brandon Conley, a Renton resident who urged canceling the contract and removing equipment. Tom Curtis, another resident, said independent research shows many jurisdictions that used Flock systems have found data‑sharing and control risks and that ICE and other outside agencies have been able to access ALPR feeds in some cases.

Several speakers cited specific contract concerns. A resident who identified herself as Amy said Flock changed contract language in February 2026 to remove a clause stating it did not own or sell customer data, to reserve exclusive control over local data access, and to add a perpetual license allowing Flock to use customer data to support and improve its services, including AI training. Amy said those changes would make municipal control over data illusory if the city renewed the contract in November 2026.

Councilmembers debated the practicality and legality of selectively re‑enabling vehicle‑mounted ALPRs while keeping stationary Flock cameras off. One councilmember warned that toggling in‑car cameras on and off in the field could lead to inadvertent use near protected locations (schools, churches, hospitals) and thus violate state requirements; others said in‑car systems are easier to control and could serve as a compromise to gather evidence of effectiveness. Mayor Armando Pavoni noted that police leadership had said the Flock system would remain off until technology and policy alignment with state law were assured.

Council also approved a separate referral asking the administration to research third‑party auditing options for all ALPR systems and to return with recommendations. Several councilmembers said independent review would build public trust and provide operational safeguards. Councilmembers and public speakers repeatedly requested greater transparency from the Renton Police Department about how ALPR data are stored, who can access it, and what evidence exists showing public‑safety benefits.

What happens next: the council’s referral requires staff to explore auditing vendors and options and to report back; the motion does not itself terminate the Flock contract or specify a timeline for any contract action. Council minutes show the original Flock deployment was on city systems for roughly 21 days before being turned off; staff told council that little retrospective data remain because the deployment was short-lived.